


Dreaming Out Loud

by LilacMoon83



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Charming Family Feels, F/M, Golden Mad Charming BroTP, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Rumbelle - Freeform, Snow is the daughter of Persephone, Snow x Charming, Snowing - Freeform, Swan Believer, Swanfire - Freeform, True Love, dreamscape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2018-12-08 06:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 73
Words: 312,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacMoon83/pseuds/LilacMoon83
Summary: "If you could have heard our voices, would it have made a difference?" Based on Snow's comment to Emma in season 5. What if Emma had been able to hear her parent's voices? What if she'd been able to see them in her dreams every night? How would things be different? This is that story. Snowing. Swan Believer. Charming family. Eventual Swanfire. Rumbelle. Golden Mad Charming BroTP.This will also include a back story for Snow that ties to Greek Mythology and Greek Mythology inspired elements. These will be in the form of flashbacks woven in with the present day events.





	1. The Dreamscape

AN:This idea came about with Snow's comment in season 5 when she asked Emma if it would have made a difference had Emma been able to hear their voices. So what if she had been able to in her dreams? What if she had been able to see them in her dreams every night and they told her everything. What if when Henry came to find her, she already knew everything? How different would things be? This is that story. This will be Snowing. Swan Believer, and Charming family story. It will also feature a lot of Daddy Charming and Mama Snow. It will eventually be Swanfire. As a fun bonus, it will also include a Golden Mad Charming brotp and Rumbelle as well.  
This will also include a back story for Snow that ties to Greek Mythology and Greek Mythology inspired elements. These will be in the form of flashbacks woven in with the present day events. 

As for Regina, I'll be writing her a bit more harshly in this. I do love how far she has come in the canon. However, I don't believe she was ever meant to become a hero. I may redeem her, but it will be done differently. She's not going to get the focus and the pass on her past deeds that she gets in the canon. I will be dealing with Snow's pain that was never dealt with and delving into what she went through at Regina's hand.

As for Hook, he will appear. eventually. He will not become a hero. He will remain in the gray area and I'll be honest, sometimes a straight up villain. I am not going to bash him, but this will not be the Pirate show. IF I redeem him and pair him with someone and that's a big IF, it will not be with Emma. Just being clear up front. Again, I will not bash him, but he will be and remain the foil in most cases. You've been warned.  
For those that are ready for Swan-Charming-Stiltskin family goodness, here we go! 

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 1: The Dreamscape

The magic whipped around them violently and had torn the roof of the castle off. She held Charming in her arms, as he barely clung to life and sobbed. Their daughter was gone...safe from the curse, but she was heartbroken at losing her. And the possibility of losing Charming further broke her, but she supposed that was her step-mother's purpose in all this.  
Snow regretted letting herself being manipulated into telling Regina's secret to Cora, but she had just been a girl; a naive young girl that was terrified that Regina might lose her mother if she didn't tell. At that point in Snow's life, losing her mother had been the worst thing that had ever happened to her.  
Now she had lost her daughter and was on the brink of losing her husband. She had never imagined as a little girl that life could give so much joy and take it away just as fast. She caressed her husband's cheek and silently begged him to open his blue eyes, those blue eyes she loved to get lost in.  
"Oh...don't worry dear. Soon, you won't even remember him," Regina cooed, as she loomed over her nemesis.  
"Where are we going?" Snow cried, as the dark magic whipped around them.  
"A horrible place...where the only happy ending...will be mine," Regina hissed. Snow's vision went black, as the magic swallowed them up.

~*~

The Underworld  
Persephone, Goddess of the Underworld, stared into her viewing pond, as she watched the Dark Curse rip through the land and swallow the people up.  
"Snow…" she uttered brokenly, as she disappeared from her sight.  
"She's gone…" Hades goaded. Persephone glared at her husband.  
"This new land they're going to...you won't be able to see her. There's no magic there," he said, enjoying her misery. She ran at him, fists balled, but he caught her wrists, before she could hit him.  
"You did this! It's your fault!" she screamed.  
"No, my dear. The Evil Queen cast this curse. Believe me, it's a loss for me too. I so enjoyed all the bodies the Queen dropped for me. She's kept us in business," he joked.  
"I hate you…" she spat and he caught her beautiful, tearstained face, as he stared into her emerald eyes.  
"This is what your treachery gets you, my love. You betrayed me and you know the old saying. You reap what you sow," he hissed and she cringed, as he brushed his hand through her silky raven tresses. He finally released her and she tore away from him, as she knelt down, gazing into the river of lost souls, her eyes searching for the love that had been lost to her so long ago...

~*~

When Snow awoke, she found herself in a long white gown, raven hair cascading down her back in curls. She looked beside her and saw her husband asleep beside her. While that was familiar to her, the room was not. It was beautifully decorated, including the large plush bed they were laying on. She tried to recall her last memory and gasped. The curse. She shook Charming awake and she smiled brightly, as he responded this time. The last time he was in her arms, he was bleeding to death.  
"Snow?" he asked.  
"Oh Charming…" she cried, as she fell into his arms.  
"My darling...what is it?" he asked.  
"The last time you were in my arms, you were dying. You had put Emma in the wardrobe," Snow replied. He remembered.  
"Then...is this the curse?" he asked.  
"I...I don't know," she replied, as she looked around. While the room they were in was tastefully decorated, it was oddly hazy and impersonal.  
"It can't be though...Regina would never let us be together. The whole point of her curse was to take away my happiness," she replied. He stood up and looked down at his white shirt. There was no bloodstain and he helped her up, as he looked around.

He saw a mirror in front of them and gently touched it. The mirror rippled and an image appeared. At first, he wasn't sure what he was looking at. It was Snow sleeping...yet it wasn't. The woman looked exactly like his wife, but her hair was very short, like a pixie cut.  
"Is that...me?" she asked.  
"I...I think so," he replied.  
"But how?" she wondered. But then he recalled the dreams she had after the sleeping curse; about how she would go back to the burning room.  
"I think this is a dream...this is where you come when you're asleep," he said.  
"But what does that mean for you?" she asked.  
"Well...I was dying," he started to say and she turned to him, horrified.  
"No...it can't mean that! It can't," she cried, as tears started to fall.  
"Hey...no, I didn't mean that. I just meant that I was hurt, but the curse probably saved me and if we're cursed, you know, we probably don't remember each other," he reiterated.  
"So we're not together," she said sadly. That, in itself, was heartbreaking. Whoever she thought she was in this new life, she knew she would feel incomplete. Even if she supposedly didn't remember Charming, there would be an emptiness in her. It's the way true love worked.  
"I just don't understand how we're together now," he said.  
"We're sleeping...it's like the red room, except without the horrible flames and smoke," she realized. His brow furrowed and she smiled at him, caressing his face.  
"But why would she let us be together at all?" he wondered.  
"She didn't. This must be something she didn't anticipate. True love can overcome even Dark Magic! Especially Dark Magic that not even Regina fully understands," she said. He smiled at her and kissed her passionately.

The cooing of a baby pulled them apart and they looked on in awe, as the crib seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They were both stunned, as they stared down at their precious baby.  
"How...how is this possible?" Charming uttered. Snow smiled and picked her up, as tears streamed down her face.  
"She's asleep too. Look…" she said, as the mirror rippled, showing Emma asleep in a crib in a very strange looking place with lots of other children around. He didn't understand how it was possible, but he didn't care.  
"Charming...our baby…" Snow sobbed. He kissed her hair and then kissed Emma's head.  
"She will break this curse, my darling," he assured. She looked up at him.  
"And at least, in our dreams, we'll be together," she added.

~*~

Boston  
October 23rd, 2011  
28 years later

Emma Swan kicked off her uncomfortable stiletto heels, as she entered her apartment. She dropped her mail onto the counter and opened the small box she had picked up from the bakery. Inside was a small cupcake with a candle.  
Her life had been lonely, at least when she was awake. Always a loner, an orphan, Emma Swan had a secret. In her dreams every night, she visited a magical dreamscape where her cursed parents also resided in their dreams.

She knew what it sounded like. It sounded even crazier than "My parents are Snow White and Prince Charming."  
But it was true...despite the fact that she did think she had been crazy at certain points in her life. She was an angry teen; sometimes she had spent her dreams yelling at her parents for not being there. It wasn't their fault, she knew that, but Emma's life had sucked. They took it all from her though and never had a cross world, only apologies and tears, as much as they tried to not to let those show.  
Her time in prison had been the worst, but cathartic in a way. After Neal left her and she gave up her baby, she became determined to find them and break the curse they were under. It was largely the reason she had become a bail bondsperson.

Unfortunately, even with all those resources, she hadn't managed to find anything. It wasn't surprising though. Search engines didn't return serious results on Snow White and Prince Charming. And Regina...the Evil Queen, Regina was much too vague.  
There were days that Emma felt it was hopeless, but as she did every year on her birthday, she closed her eyes and made a wish. To find her parents. To break the curse on them so they could be together in more than just their dreams. And she blew out the candle.  
"At least I'll see you tonight Mom and Dad," she whispered, as their was a knock at her door. She answered and was bewildered to see a kid standing there, grinning up at her.  
"Are you Emma Swan?" he asked.  
"Yes," she answered.  
"My name is Henry...I'm your son," he said. Emma's mouth dropped open and she watched the boy basically invite himself in.  
"Okay...don't take this the wrong way, kid, but why are you here? It was a closed adoption. How did you even find me?" she asked. He shrugged.  
"You can do anything with the internet and a credit card," he replied nonchalantly.  
"Okay…" she said, dragging out the word.  
"Where are your parents, kid?" she asked.  
"It's just my Mom...but she doesn't care about me. That's why I came to find you. I need your help," Henry replied.  
"Kid, I'm sure your Mom loves you. She's probably worried sick about you," Emma said.  
"She thinks I'm crazy," Henry replied. That struck a chord with her.

Lots of people had called Emma crazy until she learned that she had to stay quiet about her dreams.  
"What are you talking about?" she asked. He dug a big brown leather book out of his bag and she saw that the cover was emblazoned with the words 'Once Upon A Time,'  
"Because every story in this book is real and every character in it is trapped in the town I live in, including your parents. My Mom trapped them all and took away their happy endings and you're the only one that can save everyone," Henry implored.  
Emma felt her legs nearly give out under her.

"You're the Savior Emma," her mother's voice echoed in her head.  
"Find us," her father's voice implored. Emma was frozen and Henry looked dejected.

"You think I'm crazy too," he said sadly.  
"Actually...I don't," she replied and he looked up at her in surprise.  
"You...believe me?" he asked in disbelief. She nodded.  
"I've been looking for my parents for a long time. I have to admit though that I never thought the kid I had to give up would be the one to lead me right to them. Can I see that book?" she asked. His mouth dropped open and he eagerly handed it over, as she leafed through it with a smile. It was all here. Every story her parents had told her in her dreams, including their own.  
"I don't get it...you know?" he asked. She nodded.  
"It's kind of a long story. I'll tell you in the car. Let me pack a few things really quick. I'll send for the rest of it," she said, as she started throwing things into bag. Henry was still flabbergasted. He was sure it would have been a struggle to get her to believe.

"So...Regina is your Mom?" she asked wearily. He nodded.  
"Yep...but you're my real Mom," he replied. She allowed herself a small smile.  
"And...have you seen them?" she asked. He grinned.  
"Your Mom is my teacher! But she thinks she's Mary Margaret Blanchard," he explained.  
"So she has no memories?" she asked. This was going to hard.  
"No one does, except the Queen," he said sadly, noticing her pensiveness.  
"But you can change that! You're the Savior!" he said. She nodded.  
"Okay kid, we'll do this. But you can't tell the Queen who I really am. If she finds out too soon, it could put a lot of people in danger. For now, we gotta pretend that I am just humoring you like I imagine other adults do," Emma explained. He nodded.  
"It will be our secret, but you really do believe me?" he asked, still in disbelief. She smiled.  
"Sure do, kid. So you know my Mom pretty well then?" she asked curiously.  
"Yeah, she's the nicest person I know. Kind of timid though. Not much like Snow White, but that's because of the curse," he said excitedly.  
"And my Dad?" she asked carefully. His face fell.  
"I...I don't know. I haven't found him yet," he said sadly.  
"Oh," she replied.  
"But I don't know everyone. I'm sure he's there too!" Henry said encouragingly. She nodded. He had to be. If her father was dead, then he wouldn't be in the dreamscape with her and her mother every night. That at least gave her some comfort.

"All right, kid. Let's blow this popsicle stand," she said, as she grabbed her bag, but not before cutting her cupcake in half.  
"Here," she said.  
"Thanks...Mom never lets me have sweets," he replied. She smiled and they headed out to her car.  
"This is amazing! Operation Cobra is a go," he said excitedly.  
"Operation Cobra?" she asked curiously, as she put her bag in the back.  
"You know, the plan to break the curse. It's what we'll call it so no one gets suspicious," he replied. She smirked. This kid was smart.  
"Okay, Operation Cobra it is. Now we're off to...where are you from anyway?" she asked, as she started the car and they put their seatbelts on.  
"Storybrooke, Maine. Don't bother looking at a map though, cause it's not on any maps. I can get us there though," he said.  
"Okay, lead on Navigator," she replied, as she merged into traffic.

~*~

Mary Margaret Blanchard unlocked the door to her small loft apartment and went inside. Another day of work and volunteering at the hospital had come to a close. As usual, she arrived home to be alone. That's why she loved volunteering at the hospital. She loved visiting the patients and liked that she seemed to bring them a little bit of joy.  
But if she was honest with herself, her favorite patient had no idea she was there at all. He had been comatose there for as long as she could remember and she often found it odd that no one had come to claim this handsome stranger.  
"Get a grip, Mary. Pretty sure being in love with a coma patient is creepy," she mumbled to herself, as she started to change her clothes.  
After watching a little television and a simple dinner, she got into bed and her head hit the pillow. One thing that rarely plagued Mary was the ability to fall asleep. As a rule, the moment her head hit the pillow, she almost always drifted off to sleep, as if her dreams were calling to her…

~*~

Snow opened her eyes and found herself in the familiar haze of the dreamscape as she had all these years. Twenty-eight years to be exact. Today...it was today. Their baby girl's twenty-eighth birthday.  
"Charming?" she called, as she got out of bed, clad in the familiar flowing white gown she was always wearing in this place.  
He turned at hearing her voice, as he gazed out over the balcony into the vast mist that seemed to be the permanent state in this place. She hurried to him and his smile was wide at the sight of her, as he lifted her up, spun her around, before kissing her passionately.  
It was like this every night. Snow came to him in their dreams, while Charming never left the dreamscape. The mirror had revealed to them long ago that he seemed to be in some sort of sleeping curse by the looks of what the mirror had shown them. They didn't understand all the strange machines around him, but just knew that he never woke up. And since Snow's counterpart didn't know who he was, they didn't know when he would wake up. 

But he was alive, which gave Snow comfort, for he had been nearly dead after getting Emma into the wardrobe. Ironically, the curse had saved him. She wondered if Regina realized that irony. She could have stopped the curse right there and had everything she wanted. Emma had been sent away, lost to her and Charming would have died. Snow would have been destroyed. Fate it seemed had a sense of humor, after all.  
"Today is Emma's birthday," Snow said. He nodded.  
"I know...she'll come for us," he assured.  
"You think so?" she asked uncertainly. It had been so long. Did she dare hope?  
"The Dark One said twenty-eight years. It's finally time. Have faith," he implored. She smiled and kissed him again.  
"Do you think she'll be here soon?" Snow asked. He smirked.  
"I hope so...but knowing Emma she's probably up late on some case again," he replied, with a proud smile. She smiled too and welcomed his kiss again. It was likely they wouldn't see Emma for a few hours yet, which left them with time for each other. Her heart fluttered, as he swept her into his arms and carried her toward the bed…

~*~

Emma's yellow bug rolled over the town line and soon onto Main street. She looked around, a bit unimpressed.  
"So...this is it?" she asked.  
"Were you expecting something else?" Henry asked.  
"I don't know...just seems kind of small. Isn't this the Queen's happy ending or some crap like that?" Emma responded. Henry chuckled.  
"Well...she is Mayor and controls the town. And Storybrooke is bigger than it looks," Henry commented. Emma sighed.  
"It would have to be. Didn't she like cram several kingdoms into this curse?" Emma asked. He looked at her in awe.  
"What?" she asked.  
"It's just...still tough to believe that you even believe me. But you know more about the curse than I do!" he exclaimed. She smiled gently.  
"Well...guess that's what happens when you're tied to your parents in a mystical dreamscape every night. We've had twenty-eight years to talk," she said sadly.  
"I've been alone all my life...yet I've heard their voices every night. I've seen them, I've hugged them, I've cried with them, I've even yelled and screamed at them in my worst teenage years," Emma said, with a sigh.  
"They've told me everything. All the different Kingdoms. My Dad's past, why your Mom hates my Mom, all of it," Emma added.  
"And you remember all your dreams?" Henry asked curiously.  
"Somehow...though if I had to guess, my Mom probably doesn't remember any of it," Emma replied.  
"Cause of the curse. You're not cursed and you're the product of true love," Henry reasoned.  
"Guess so. But remember, we have to play this right, kid. We have to make people think I'm just humoring you. Only we can know the truth," she reminded. He nodded.  
"I'm a pretty good actor," he assured and she grinned.  
"Okay then, where's your house?" she asked.  
"108 Mifflin Street. Take a right up here," Henry directed, as he guided Emma to the Mayor's mansion. She parked on the curb and looked out the passenger window.

"Whoa...nice digs, kid. Guess she gave herself this world's version of a castle," Emma said, a touch of bitter in her voice.  
"Yeah...big and empty, just like her heart," Henry said sadly. She reached over and squeezed his hand.  
"It's gonna be okay. We'll break the curse. I'm getting my parents back and I can't wait to tell them they have a grandkid. Yeah, that won't be weird or anything," she snorted. He grinned.  
"You mean cause they're the same age as you? Nah, not weird at all," he joked, as a woman came rushing out of the house, dressed in a smart pantsuit. Emma went rigid. This was her. The Queen. The woman that had stolen everything from her...from her parents. She tried to calm her raging emotions and put on her mask of indifference, as she got out of the car.  
"Henry!" Regina cried.  
"I'm fine...my real Mom brought me home," Henry said. Emma almost winced. The kid was laying it on thick, but she couldn't blame him. This woman didn't garner the title of the Evil Queen without earning it.  
"You're his birth mother?" Regina asked accusingly, staring at Emma. The blonde shrugged and gave a casual wave.  
"That's me," she said awkwardly.  
"Then if you gave him up, then you know it was a closed adoption," Regina hissed.  
"I found her. She had nothing to do with it," Henry chimed in. Regina pointed to the house.  
"Inside now," she snapped.

"You brought him home?" an accented voice asked. Emma turned toward the new voice and she was instantly trying to place him. He was really good looking, that was for sure and the badge clearly revealed that, at least in this life, he was this town's law enforcement.  
"Emma Swan," she introduced herself.  
"Graham Humbert...Sheriff," he replied, shaking her hand. Emma contemplated that name for a moment. Humbert...that was the name of the Huntsman in Disney's bastardization of her parent's story. This was him...the Huntsman. The man that had spared her mother and helped her father escape the Queen so he could wake her mother.  
"No need for pleasantries. Now that Ms. Swan has brought my son back, I'm sure she'll be on her way back to wherever it is she came from," Regina interjected. Emma shrugged.  
"It's kind of late to drive back tonight. This town have a motel or something?" she asked. Graham smiled.  
"Granny's, it's on the main drag. She runs a diner and an inn. I'm sure she has a room," he replied. Emma nodded her head. She really wanted to ask about a certain schoolteacher, but knew it would seem odd. Besides, it was late and she knew her mother would be probably getting ready for bed soon. Teachers got up early, after all. 

She glanced back at the house and saw her son from his bedroom window. She gave him a wink and got back into the bug, before driving off to find Granny's.  
Henry watched her go and then heard something he had never heard before in his short ten years. The clock in the town square chimed and the minute hand moved. He smiled.  
It had finally begun...


	2. Believer

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 2: Believer

"Here's your key. Enjoy your stay, Miss Swan," Granny said, as she handed the blonde a room key.  
"Thanks...and it's just Emma," she replied.  
"Emma…what a lovely name," she heard an accented male voice say behind her. Emma turned and kept her expression even, betraying no emotion. Her parents had told her about the Dark One, though she almost wasn't sure this was him. This guy didn't have any scales like her father described and walked with the assistance of a cane.  
"The rent isn't due until next week," Granny protested. Though he had been making his weekly rounds to pressure his tenants for their rent payments, everything was suddenly different in an instant. The feared Mr. Gold that owned most of the town now had a new awareness.  
"I'm not here for payment. I just wanted to welcome our visitor to town. We don't get many in Storybrooke," he mentioned.  
"Yeah...I keep getting that from people. Emma Swan and you are?" she asked. He smirked.  
"Mr. Gold. I own the pawnshop," he replied. She could tell he was analyzing her. This was definitely him. Rumplestiltskin.  
"I'm sure I'll be seeing you around town. Good evening, Miss Swan," he said, as he hobbled out.  
Awake...he was awake at last. His routine visit to the inn to collect rent from Widow Lucas had yielded much more than expected. A stranger was in town by the name of Emma Swan. Emma...she was here and it was finally time to begin. He sensed more with her though. He had fully expected to meet the eyes of a skeptic woman, but there was something behind those familiar green eyes. If Emma Swan was a believer already, it might change everything. He had no idea how she could know...unless the Gods themselves had some sort of interference. Normally, he wouldn't give such a thing a second thought, but considering a certain princess' secret unknown(except to him) lineage, he suspected a certain goddess may have had a hand in all of this. And for all his foresight, he had no idea how that would play out with his plans. He smirked. At last, this town wouldn't be bore any longer.

~*~

Dreamscape

"Mmm...you know for a dream, that was pretty amazing," Snow purred, as she lay entangled beneath the bedclothes with her husband. He chuckled.  
'Well, I hope I can do as well when we're finally together again...you know awake," he replied, as he dropped a kiss to her forehead. She smiled coyly.  
"Oh I have no doubts in your prowess in bed, Prince Charming," she praised, as she kissed him passionately.   
"It won't be long, my darling. Emma's twenty-eight. She's going to find us and then we'll have more than our dreams to live on," he promised with that unwavering faith he always seemed to have a plethora of. They gazed at each other with passion shining in their eyes, as their lips crashed together again.   
"Mom? Dad?" they heard a voice call. 

~*~

Emma was finally asleep after hours of tossing and turning. It was to be expected though. Her mind was running a mile a minute. She had finally found the place the curse had brought everyone to. And after meeting Regina, she knew breaking the curse would not be easy.   
"Mom? Dad?" she called.   
"Uh...just a second honey!" she heard her mother call and the bedsheets rustling. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Honestly, she loved that her parents were so in love. It was one thing that had given her comfort throughout the years, even in her angry teen years where all she did was scream at them. But knowing that they loved her and each other more than anything made all the difference. Hearing their voices and seeing them in her dreams was everything. But she could do without the PDA. If they were like this asleep, she was sure they would be worse awake.   
"Emma…happy birthday sweetheart," Snow said, as she hugged her tightly. Emma smiled and hugged her back.  
"Thanks Mom," she whispered.   
"Happy birthday Princess," David said, as he opened his arms. Emma grinned and dove in with a big hug for him and felt her anxiousness ebb away, as he cradled her head. 

"Mom, Dad, I found it...the place that the curse took everyone!" Emma revealed. Snow and David looked at her with hope in their eyes.  
"You found us?" Snow asked.  
"I haven't seen you yet...but I know you're there. It's a town and Regina's running the whole place," Emma replied.  
"Then you saw Regina?" David asked. Emma nodded.   
"We knew you'd find us...how did you do it?" Snow asked. Emma smiled.  
"Well...I didn't do it alone," Emma said, knowing she had to tell them. She turned and sat down.   
"Honey...what is it?" Snow asked.  
"You remember when I...had to give up my son?" she asked.   
"Yes...if only we had been there. You wouldn't had to do that," David said sadly.   
"Daddy…" she started to say.  
"And don't get me started on that little worm that betrayed you and broke your heart," David continued.   
"Charming…" Snow tried to sooth him by brushing her hand on the back of his neck.  
"My son...he found me," she blurted out, silencing them.  
"His name is Henry...and he knows about the curse. He's a really great kid," she said.  
"Henry?" Snow asked curiously.  
"We have a grandson?" David asked. She nodded.  
"Wait...how does he know about the curse?" Snow asked.  
"That's the thing...he lives in Storybrooke. That's what the town is called. He was adopted after I gave him up...by Regina," she revealed, causing her parents to go rigid.  
"Regina...is raising your son?" Snow squeaked.   
"Our grandson?" David added. Emma nodded with a wince.  
"Does...does she know?" Snow asked wearily.  
"No...she had no idea who I really am," Emma replied.  
"Wait...how does Henry know then?" David asked.

"Well...there's a book with everyone's stories in it. He figured it out after his teacher gave him this book that she just found. He knew something was off, because he's the only one that ages. He's really smart...but has trouble making friends. I mean, by the time he has a friend, he moves on in school, while all the other kids in his class stay behind. He's the only one changing," Emma explained. She didn't tell him that the teacher that gave him the book was Miss Blanchard, her mother's meek counterpart...not yet.   
"Have you seen us?" Snow asked.  
"Not yet, but it was pretty late when we got to town. I'm staying at the inn. Granny runs it, apparently," she mentioned. Her parents softened at the mention of the elder woman.  
"You'll be in good hands, then," he said.   
"We love you so much, baby," Snow said, as she hugged her and Charming joined them, cradling her head.  
"I love you guys too. We're close...we're finally going to be a real family," Emma said. They nodded.   
"So...tell us all about our grandbaby," Snow gushed, making Emma laugh.

~*~

The next morning, Emma awoke to the chirping of bluebirds on her windowsill. She had never quite had the affection for birds that her mother did, but all her life they had certainly had affection for her. It was like they knew somehow exactly who she was.  
After a shower and getting dressed, she headed over to the diner for breakfast, after grabbing a paper. If she was going to stick around town, she needed to find a job.  
As she walked into the diner, she was surprised to be walking into a scene. Regina was yelling and the victim of her tirade made her heart skip a beat. It was her mother...though this woman could barely look at the Mayor and seemed meek. And her blood boiled, seeing Regina mistreat anyone, let alone her mother.

"Mom...please! Miss Blanchard didn't know! I stole her credit card!" Henry pleaded. Emma glanced around and was infuriated that no one except her kid had the spine to jump to her mother's defense. She knew it wasn't really their fault, but it still made her angry.  
"You be quiet, Henry," Regina snapped.  
"Madam Mayor...I had no idea giving Henry a book would cause so much trouble. I'm sorry," Mary Margaret pleaded.  
"Save it, Miss Blanchard," Regina snapped, as she tossed onto the table.  
"One more incident and I'll be having a visit with the principal to make sure your job is terminated!" Regina threatened.  
"Hey!" Emma called, as all eyes went to her.  
"Want to take it down a notch, Mayorzilla?" Emma growled.  
"Excuse me? This is none of your business, Miss Swan. Henry, let's go," she snapped. Henry gave her a sad look and reluctantly followed.

"Hey...are you okay?" Emma asked. Mary looked up and then around.  
"Me?" she asked. Emma smiled.  
"Of course you. I don't care who she thinks she is. She has no right to treat anyone like that," Emma said. Mary laughed bitterly.  
"You must be new around here," she replied.  
"Emma Swan," she introduced herself. Mary's eyes widened.  
"You're…" she stammered.  
"Henry's birth mother. Can I buy you a hot cocoa?" Emma asked.  
"Um...sure," Mary said, a little confused. Emma smiled and went to the counter and soon returned.  
"Oh...I forgot to ask you to…" she trailed off, noticing there was already cinnamon on it.  
"Sorry...I should have asked. I always drink mine with cinnamon," Emma mentioned.  
"Oh...so do I. What a coincidence," Mary mentioned and Emma smiled knowingly.  
"Must be," she pretended to agree.

"So...you're Henry's birth mom?" she asked awkwardly.  
"Yeah, it was a surprise when he showed up, but he's a great kid," Emma replied.  
"He is...he's so special. But I think I made a mistake giving him that book. I just wanted to give him hope...you know?" she asked.  
"I do...hope is important. I think it was the best thing you could have done," Emma replied.  
"Regina doesn't think so," Mary murmured.  
"Screw Regina," Emma retorted and they laughed, as they drank their hot cocoa.  
"Well...I better get to the hospital for my shift," Mary said.  
"You work two jobs?" Emma asked.  
"Oh no, I just volunteer a few days during the week after school and on Saturdays," Mary explained.  
"I really feel like I might at least make some difference in the patients lives or so I like to tell myself," she said shyly.  
"The hospital...of course," Emma muttered. Her father had been mortally wounded the night of the curse. What if that was where he had been all these years?  
"Do you mind if I tag along?" Emma asked.  
"Sure!" Mary exclaimed, a little eagerly.  
"Great. Since I'm going to be hanging around, I need to start looking for a job," Emma mentioned.  
"You're staying around?" Mary asked hopefully.  
"For Henry," Emma said. And you and Dad, she added silently. Mary smiled.  
"Henry will love that. You know, he has a big imagination. I think that's why Regina is so mad. Henry thinks the stories in his book are real," Mary mentioned.  
"Imagination is good. You know, people never listen to kids and sometimes, they turn out to be right about everything," Emma said, hoping to plant a spark of something in her. Regina had pushed Snow down deep inside Mary Margaret for so long and it was Emma's job to bring her out.  
"Wouldn't that be something?" Mary joked. Emma smiled.  
"Wouldn't it?" Emma agreed, as she grabbed the book.

~*~

Sidney Glass waltzed into the Mayor's office with a creepy grin that he often wore.  
"You rang, Madam Mayor?" he asked.  
"You're late," she snapped, as she closed the office door.  
"Forgive me, I was actually working," he said, with a chuckle.  
"There's never anything to write about in this piss ant town...until now, what with a certain blonde visitor and all," he mentioned.  
"Visitor is the operative word, Sidney," Regina replied.  
"That's not what I hear. Word has it that Miss Swan is looking for a job," he revealed. Regina frowned.  
"What?" she questioned. He nodded.  
"What did you find on her?" she asked.  
"Not much. Orphan...seems to be a loner. Never stays in one place too long. But everything before the age of eighteen is sealed," he reported.  
"Why?" Regina asked. He shrugged.  
"Juvenile record...it's sealed," he answered.  
"Then unseal it!" Regina snapped. He rolled his eyes.  
"You know I don't have that kind of power," Sidney protested.  
"Then find someone who does and make it happen!" Regina shouted.  
"Yes...Madam Mayor," he said, as he left. Regina sat in thought for a moment.  
Outsiders in town were too risky and she had to get rid of this woman. She smirked and left to pay Widow Lucas a visit. Emma Swan would have no choice but to leave if she had no place to stay. Regina grinned evilly and stalked out to her car.

~*~

Emma's breath caught in her throat, as she gazed through the glass in the ICU wing. She had followed Mary around, doing her rounds, for the last two hours and really enjoyed her company. She could tell Mary did too. Her mother was very lonely, thanks to a certain Queen.  
But now, there he was...her father. Comatose.  
"Who is he?" Emma asked, as they put fresh flowers on his bedside table.  
"No one knows. He's a John Doe," Mary replied. She noticed her mother's longing look and smiled quietly. Even without her memories, she was drawn to him. Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice.  
"You know, Miss Blanchard, I would be better company than a comatose man," Dr. Whale joked.  
"That's debatable," Emma heard her mother mutter.  
"Come on...what do you say to dinner tonight? Then maybe drinks at my place?" Whale leered and Emma's hackles went up. She could tell her mother was torn, only because the thought of being alone was almost as unappealing as the sleazy doctor. But Emma knew men like this. He wanted one thing and that was to get into her mother's pants.  
"She can't...we have plans," Emma answered for her. Mary looked at her in surprise and then smiled gratefully.  
"Yes...we're having...a girl's night!" she said excitedly.  
"And you are?" Whale leered, looking Emma up and down.  
"Not even if you were the last man on Earth," she shot back. Thankfully, Whale took the hint and walked out.  
"Thanks...he can be so creepy. I might have actually given in if you hadn't been here," Mary said.  
"Do me a favor and never date that guy," Emma requested.  
"Deal," Mary replied, as she gazed longingly again at John Doe.  
"You know, I read somewhere that reading to coma patients increases cognitive function," Emma mused and Mary snorted, but then looked at her new friend.  
"You're serious?" Mary asked. Emma shrugged.  
"Why not? Here...read Snow White. Who knows, he might like it," Emma suggested. Mary cocked her head to the side and then sat down besides his bed.  
"Okay...here goes," she said, feeling a little silly. But Emma only smiled.

~*~

Jefferson watched Grace play at the park from afar. He was careful not to be seen or get too close, for he didn't want people to get the wrong idea. He watched her cursed parents dote on her and he was glad she was being well cared for. But part of him couldn't help but burn with envy. He supposed that was the point of his curse. To remember and not be able to do anything about it.  
But the Savior was in town and had already made waves. Jefferson was impatient though. Twenty-eight years of awareness would do that. He wanted Regina to pay. He wanted to see her face as she watched her curse slowly crumble before her. He smirked, as an idea struck him. Perhaps there was something he could do, after all. He chuckled.  
"Oh...revenge will be sweet," he mused, as he set off back home. He had a note to write to a certain pawnbroker.

~*~

"Psst...Emma…." Henry whispered, as he peaked into the room.  
"Kid…" Emma hissed, as she got up, leaving Mary Margaret to keep reading.  
"How are you here? Doesn't the Mayor have you under lock and key?" she asked. He shrugged.  
"She's at her office so I snuck out," he replied nonchalantly. Emma tried to hide her smirk. This was definitely her kid.  
"You found him," Henry said in awe, as he spotted his teacher reading to the man in the bed.  
"Yep...looks like he's been in a coma all these years," Emma replied.  
"Do you think Miss Blanchard can wake him?" Henry asked.  
"If anyone can, it's her," Emma replied.  
"EMMA!" Mary Margaret called, as they rush into the room.

~*~

"And it was there in the shadow of the Troll Bridge that their love was born," Mary recited and then gasped, as the comatose man put his hand atop hers.  
"Emma!" she called, as they rushed into the room.  
"He's waking up!" Henry exclaimed.  
"Dr. Whale!" Mary Margaret called, as the doctor rushed into the room.  
"What's going on?" he asked.  
"I was reading to him and he grabbed my hand!" Mary explained.  
"Everyone out," Whale ordered, as the three of them waited outside impatiently, until Whale finally emerged about five minutes later.  
"Is he awake?" Emma asked.  
"I'm sorry, but there's no change," Whale informed.  
"No...he grabbed my hand," Mary insisted.  
"Maybe you imagined it," Whale suggested.  
"I did not imagine it!" Mary retorted.  
"It could have been reflexes then. I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. Visiting hours are over," Whale stated.  
"I didn't imagine it," Mary hissed to Emma.  
"I know...let's go grab some coffee and then we'll sneak back up here," Emma suggested.  
As they retreated, Whale took out his phone and dialed a number.  
"It's Whale. You told me to call if there was a change in the John Doe," he stated.

~*~

Regina slammed the phone down. Charming was waking up...this wasn't good. Her wretched stepdaughter was getting too close to him. One look at her and the confused coma patient would be swooned back under the little wretch's spell. She had to stop to make before going to the hospital. She had to make sure Snow and Charming were kept apart and she knew just how to do it.

~*~

When he awoke, it was to a world of confusion. As he looked around the white room, he found nothing familiar. He was in a bed and there were strange tubes attached to him. It was alarming and he quickly ripped them out. He didn't know what kind of place this was, but it had to be some sort of madhouse. Tubes inserted into his body and he was barely clothed in this strange gown. He opened the wardrobe beside the bed, finding stranger clothes inside. But at least there was pants and he quickly put them on, followed by what seemed like an overcoat. He was glad to see the boots and put those on as well. He looked at the wardrobe once he was finished dressing and it reminded him of another wardrobe. Emma...he had to find Emma and Snow. Then it dawned on him. This place...it was the curse. He rushed out of the room and down the hallway, elated to see a familiar face. Grumpy was at the end of the stark white hall with a broom.  
"Grumpy!" he called, but the dwarf didn't answer him.  
"Grumpy...I need you to gather the other dwarves. We need to find Snow…" he said.  
"Who the hell are you calling Grumpy? And dwarf? You making fun of my height too, pretty boy?" he growled, balling his fist. Charming looked taken aback, as the other man seemed to have no idea who he was. Backing away, he saw a door and went through it. He felt cold air and followed the staircase down a few flights until there was another door. He could smell the woods from behind the door and hurried out into the cold air. The woods...maybe Snow was hiding in the woods. He would find her.  
"I will always find you, Snow," he said, as he took off running into the thicket of trees.

~*~

Emma, Henry, and Mary Margaret returned to the ICU unit with their drinks in hand and noticed a commotion.  
"What's going on?" Mary asked one of the nurses.  
"John Doe...he's gone," she said. Mary's heart dropped.  
"What do you mean gone?" Mary squeaked, but the nurse had no answer, as she rushed off.  
"Whale...what's going on?" Emma asked, noticing Graham was there.  
"We're about to find out," Graham said, gesturing to the television screen.  
"There he is!" Mary Margaret cried, as they watched the patient stumble toward the exit.  
"Where does that door lead to?" Emma asked.  
"The woods," Graham said worriedly.  
"We have to find him!" Mary Margaret cried, as she took off with Emma hot on her heels.  
"Stay here kid!" she called, as Graham followed.

~*~

Mr. Gold stared at the card with scrutiny. It had arrived via bird, which was intriguing in of itself. In Storybrooke, that meant only a couple people could have sent it.  
Fortunately, the message contents quickly ruled out Regina. Plus the Queen didn't really use birds for communication, rather she just barged in with demands.  
"Regina lied to you about her." J. That was all it said, but it was clear enough to him. He crumpled the piece of parchment in his fist and his mind raged. If it was true...if she was still alive...then Regina had to pay. If she was alive, it meant the Queen had her locked up somewhere...locked up for the last twenty-eight years. Oh yes, Regina had to pay if it were true and Jefferson had no reason to lie. He had always been a good employee and had his own reasons for wanting Regina to pay. He suspected the Hatter was as tired of waiting for the curse to break as he was.  
Without magic though, punishing Regina would prove to be more difficult to accomplish. Then he heard the latest gossip, as he made his rounds around town that evening. The John Doe patient at the hospital was awake and had wandered off. The Sheriff's department was currently scouring the town for him.  
He allowed himself a small smirk. He knew what Regina's ploy would be if Prince Charming was really awake. That's why he was here on Kathryn Nolan's doorstep, holding this ridiculous windmill.

"Mr. Gold…" the simpering Kathryn Nolan said wearily, as she answered the door.  
"Mrs. Nolan...I was hoping to have a word with you," Gold said.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have much time. I have to get to the hospital. David is awake! Regina just called me! Isn't it a miracle?" she gushed.  
"Yes quite...that is actually what I came here to discuss. Do you remember this?" he asked, as she looked at it and seemed to go into some sort of brief trance.  
"Yes...I gave this to David in the divorce," she recalled.  
"Really? Hmm...before his accident, he said he'd like for you to have it. You made it, after all," he guided and handed it to her.  
"Yes…" she answered.  
"Well...good evening, Mrs. Nolan," he said.  
"Oh...it's Richards again. Kathryn Richards...I went back to my maiden name after the divorce," she relied.  
"Of course," Gold stated, pleased, as he turned to leave.  
"Mr. Gold...if you see David, give him my well wishes," she called.  
"I'll certainly do that," Gold replied.  
"It was a messy divorce, but I truly hope he finds someone," she mentioned. Gold looked coy.  
"You know...I have a feeling he will," Gold said, as limped back to his car.

But the night wasn't over. Regina's bold move in making him think Belle was dead all these years changed everything. Without magic, he needed allies. Jefferson was a clear choice. He wanted Regina to go down for keeping him from his daughter. And then there was Charming. The Prince usually wasn't one for vengeance, but if he had his memories as Gold suspected he might, then he would want Regina to pay for ripping his family apart. Yes...things in Storybrooke had reached a whole new level of interesting...


	3. Snow Falls

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 3: Snow Falls

From the moment he awoke in that bed, there had been three things on his mind. Snow and Emma, and finding them.  
This place was very strange, but he had put enough together to know that this was the curse, especially the way Grumpy reacted to him like he was a complete stranger.  
This was it. The place without happy endings. His last memories being awake were of putting his daughter into the wardrobe and then the searing pain in his abdomen, as one of Regina's Black Knights cut him down.

Fortunately, he also remembered all the years spent in limbo, in the dreamscape where he saw his beloved wife and daughter on a nightly basis.  
He had been so eager to find Snow though that he had headed for the woods firstly. Then he realized she wouldn't be in the woods, because he remembered Emma telling them that no one had their real memories. Which begged the question as to why he did.  
Now he was lost in the woods. At least he had enough mind to find something to wear besides the odd clothing he had woken up in. It was freezing, so he was glad he had grabbed the strange clothes and boots he had found in a wardrobe in the room.  
Finally, after what seemed like forever trekking through the woods, he happened on a large house. There was light in the windows, but he was leary about going to see who lived there. He had no idea of knowing who he could trust besides Emma and Snow, even without her memories.

There was a peculiar sound behind him, a sort of clicking, and then a voice.  
"Turn around slowly," the man said. David did as he asked and he came face to face with someone he did not recognize.  
"You're the John Doe from the hospital," Jefferson said.  
"John Doe?" David asked in confusion.  
"It's what they call someone with no identity," he explained.  
"I don't know what you're talking about. I have an identity. I know exactly who I am...but no one remembers me! She's done something to them! Everyone just looks at me like I'm crazy!" David exclaimed. Jefferson's eyes widened and for the first time in twenty-eight years, he was face to face with someone who remembered like him. Then he laughed merrily...almost madly.  
"What the hell are you laughing at?" David growled.  
"You...have your memories! I'm finally not the only one in this piss ant town that knows who they really are! It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Charming," he replied, with a bow David's eyes widened.  
"Wait...you remember too? The Queen…" he started to say.  
"The Queen...the curse...all the misery she's inflicted. I have to say though, this is a surprise. She finally screwed up. If she knew you remembered, she'd be foaming at the mouth. You're the last...well second to last person she wants to remember," Jefferson replied.  
"So it's true...everyone else here has false identities?" David said.  
"Yes...and she's taken away what they all love most," Jefferson replied.  
"Emma told me that Snow thinks she's a teacher," David mentioned. The Hatter's eyes widened.  
"What do you mean Emma told you?" Jefferson asked rigidly.  
"It's kind of a long story," David replied.  
"If Regina is your enemy, then we're on the same side. Let's go in where it's warm," Jefferson suggested. Charming followed him in and he put some tea on, as Charming found a chair.

"Who were you...back in the Enchanted Forest?" he asked.  
"For many years, I was a peasant and struggled to feed my child, especially after my wife died," Jefferson replied.  
"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to have...nothing," he said. Jefferson looked at him.  
"Yes, I suppose you do," Jefferson agreed. He had been working for Rumple around the time he had made bartered the deal with David to take his brother's place.  
"Your child…" David started to say.  
"Grace...she's ten...has been ten for the last twenty-eight years. No one ages in this town. She lives with a couple in town," Jefferson said.  
"How is that you remember?" David asked. He shrugged.  
"Who knows? Regina wanted to punish me, I guess. It's my curse to remember and be powerless to do anything about it. Now...care to tell me how you've been in contact with Emma already?" he asked. David sighed and began telling him about the dreamscape.

~*~

The search of the woods had been nearly exhausted and Emma was really worried. There was no sign of her father anywhere and she could tell Mary was worried too, though she seemed confused by it.  
"Where could he be? What if he's hurt?" Mary fretted, almost frantically.  
"Mary Margaret...it's going to be okay. We're going to find him," Emma insisted.  
"I wish I was as confident as you," Mary murmured.  
"Finding people is kind of what I do," Emma said. She just hoped they found him before Regina did.

~*~

Enchanted Forest

60 years before the Dark Curse

Spring had dawned at last in the Enchanted Forest. Today, the fauna was in full bloom on this Spring Equinox, at least that's what mortals called it now. In years past, mortals would have known this day as Persephone's liberation from the Underworld. Her return to the mortal plane marked the end of winter and the beginning of spring.   
But over the last few centuries, the Gods had not left Olympus much. Their interaction with mortals became less and less, so much so, that mortals considered most deities to be legends of the past now. And in Persephone's opinion, that was for the best. The Gods had a very bloody past with mortals, especially Ares and his twin sons Deimos and Phonos, Gods of Terror and Dread respectively. But that was another story entirely.   
For Persephone, she preferred the mortal plane and thus why Misthaven had become among her favorite places. She was the goddess of vegetation, after all and the forests were so lush here. 

The years being Hades' unwilling wife were getting harder and harder. His infatuation with her had dulled to indifference over the years, but he had refused to release her from her confines to the Underworld out of spite, much to her mother, Demeter's rage.  
Persephone was humble though, much more so than her fellow deities, though some of them had mellowed over the years as well. While Aphrodite was always considered the most beautiful, Persephone was by far the fairest of all(much to Aphrodite's annoyance). And adored by almost all, especially her mother Demeter, who coined the term fairest of them all term to describe her lovely daughter, for her skin was white as snow, her hair black as a raven, and her lips red as a ruby.   
Persephone didn't know much of her father, for her mother refused to talk about him. The mortals chronicled texts of their stories stated Zeus as her father, but Demeter was clear that he had not sired her and the mortals didn't know any better.   
She sighed, as she let the sunlight bathe on her face, enjoying its warmth at last after the cold months of captivity in the Underworld at Hades' side. She found a bushel of snow drops and smiled, for they were her favorite flower. They were the only flower that could survive the harsh winter months that she was away. She felt a brush of wind and smiled.

"Hello Mother," she greeted. Demeter smiled.  
"My daughter," she greeted, as she swept her pride and joy into her arms.  
"I missed you," Demeter said.  
"And I you, Mama," she replied.   
"I will never get used to letting that demon incarnate keep you in his clutches," she fretted, as she caressed her dearest daughter's beautiful face.  
"Hades is not cruel to me. He affords me all the luxuries of a Queen," she reasoned, though her voice was sad.  
"A Queen that he forces into his bed; that he dares put his hands on," Demeter growled.  
"Mother please...I do not wish to talk about Hades. And as much as I hope for true love, we know how rare it is...especially for deities," she replied. Demeter sighed, but said nothing. Persephone was enamored with the idea of true love, she had seen glimpses of it among mortals, but it was rare. A rare and beautiful thing.   
"Come home with me," Demeter requested.  
"I will soon, mama. I'd like to stay here a bit longer," Persephone requested. Demeter nodded.  
"If you wish. Be along soon," she requested in return. The raven haired beauty nodded and journeyed off deeper into the forest. 

~*~

The small woodland creatures, birds, and a few deer followed along with her, as they often did and as she came upon a creek, she saw she was not alone. There was a man getting a drink from the stream, while he let his horse drink as well. As he turned, Persephone felt her breath catch. He was young, with chestnut colored hair, and very handsome. She became startled though when he saw her.  
"Oh...I'm sorry to intrude," she said, as she started to hurry away.  
"Wait...please don't go," the handsome stranger called.   
I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you," Persephone said.  
"You're not...I may be escaping to the forest for a bit, but I could use the company," he said, noticing all the curious forest creatures around her. It was peculiar, but not unsettling.  
"I'm Elijah," he said, holding out his hand. She looked wary for a moment, but the animals did not fear him and that meant he did not mean to harm anyone.  
"Persephone," she said. He cocked his head to the side.  
"Persephone? Named after the goddess?" he asked. She smiled coyly.  
"Something like that," she replied.  
What ensued over the spring and summer months that followed that clandestine meeting was a whirlwind romance. By the time the leaves began to fall from the trees, Persephone was in love with Elijah and he with her. 

But their lives were not their own and confessions would come on a chilly fall day, as they wrapped together in their secret hovel they had made in the forest near the stream where they had first met.  
"You said you had something to tell me?" she asked.  
"Mmm...something I should have told you from the beginning," he replied.  
"Is this about you being a prince?" she asked and his eyes widened.  
"How did you know?" he asked. She smirked.  
"Despite the fact that you try to hide your royal ties when you travel, sometimes you forget to hide the royal crest on your horse's saddle. When I saw that, it didn't take long to realize that you're Prince Elijah of the northern Kingdom, younger brother to Princess Eva," she said. He sighed.  
"Are you angry?" he asked. She shook her head and pecked him on the lips.  
"We are not so different. We are both running from the trappings of titles and responsibilities," she replied.  
"You mean how you are actually Persephone and not named after her?" he asked. Her eyes widened.  
"You know?" she asked in disbelief. He nodded.  
"How long?" she asked.  
"I've suspected almost from the beginning. The animals love you, flowers bloom in your presence…" he trailed off.  
"Then you know…" she said hesitantly.  
"That you're married to Hades," he said stiffly.  
"I do not love him," she insisted.  
"I know," he assured.

"Then I hope what I have to tell you next won't anger you either," she stated.  
"I love you...no matter what it is," he assured.  
"I'm pregnant," she revealed. His eyes widened in surprise.  
"How...far along?" he asked.  
"Four months," she replied.  
"Then it is…" he uttered.  
"She is yours," Persephone said. He smiled and hugged her.  
"This is wonderful!" he exclaimed, but noticed her sadness.  
"Isn't it?" he asked.  
"She will be born in the winter," said said fearfully and he frowned.  
"When you're in the Underworld," he replied, as he watched her shoulders rack with sobs.  
"She'll be in so much danger. Hades will kill her in his jealousy and rage," she cried.  
"Then you cannot go back there," Elijah stated.  
"The consequences of crossing Hades are dire," she warned.  
"I love you and I'll not abandon you or our child," he insisted, as he started to dress.  
"Where are you going?" she asked.  
"To tell my sister. She may have married for the good of the Kingdom, but I am going to be with the one I love. I'm sure that Princess in the southern isles can find another prince," he commented.  
"Then I'll return in a day's time," he said, as he kissed her passionately.  
"I'll be waiting and I'm sure mother will know how to help us," she replied, as she watched him ride off. Persephone put her hand to her belly and then hurried off to find her mother.

From the Underworld, Hades observed the entire exchange and shook with rage, as his hair ignited with blue flames.  
"I'm afraid that's not going to be a happy reunion, my dear Persephone," he hissed.

~*~

"So...she knows. The Savior knows about everything?" Jefferson asked.  
"If she remembers all her time spent in the dreamscape like I do, then yes," David replied. Jefferson chuckled.  
"And the Queen has no clue who she really is. This is unexpected," he said.  
"Yet, but it probably won't take her long to figure it out. Can you...tell me about Snow?" David asked tentatively. Jefferson sighed.  
"You sure you want to know?" he asked.  
"Of course," David insisted.

"Well, in Storybrooke, Snow White is Mary Margaret Blanchard. She teaches fifth grade. But her personal life...is pretty lonely. The curse pretty much strips away every good trait in a person and brings out their weaknesses. As a result, Mary Margaret is sweet, but very meek. Regina delights in her misery," Jefferson informed. David clenched his fist and noticed his trepidation.  
"What?" he asked.  
"I'm not sure I should tell you," Jefferson replied.  
"You must...I need to know everything. If we want our families back, then we need to work together," David said. He sighed.  
"Do you remember Deimos?" Jefferson asked. He watched the Prince go rigid and clench his fists.  
"You mean son of Ares and former immortal that hunted and stalked my wife?" David growled.  
"The same. And tried to kill you on multiple occasions, yes, that's him," Jefferson said.  
"Don't tell me he's here?" David lamented.  
"Unfortunately, he is and he doesn't have his memories, but he's still infatuated with your wife. He stalks and pressures Mary Margaret on a weekly basis. He gets stopped by the Sheriff and never goes further than talking to her. But with time moving again...he might get more brazen," Jefferson warned.

"That's not possible! We killed him! I watched Red rip him apart," David growled.  
"He survived somehow. I don't know how, but he was a God before Zeus punished him for trying to overthrow him in Hades' favor. Regardless of him, I think we need to team up with a certain someone else," Jefferson said. David sighed.  
"You can't mean…" he started to say.  
"He wants the curse broken as much as we do. Not to mention that he knows all the inner workings of the curse," Jefferson insisted.  
"But he's the Dark One…" David said.  
"He is and right now, he's content to sit back and let your daughter fulfill her destiny, even if takes months. But I know something that will make him want to speed up the process and make Regina pay," Jefferson replied.  
"And that would be?" David asked.  
"The woman he loves," the Hatter replied.  
"But...he said she was dead," David protested.  
"He thinks she is...but she's not," Jefferson replied, as recognition flashed in the prince's eyes.  
"Regina…" he said.  
"Lied to him about killing her. She's had her locked up in the hospital psych ward for the past twenty-eight years," Jefferson said.  
"And he has no idea?" David asked.  
"Not until tonight when I clued him in. If the three of us team up against Regina and with your daughter on our side, she'll finally pay for all the misery she's caused. But for now, you need to get back to the hospital. They have an all out search going for you," Jefferson explained.

"What am I supposed to do at the hospital?" David asked.  
"Act like you have no memories. Regina will probably try to come up with some fake life for you. But she can't force it on you if you don't let her. If your daughter really does know you, then I suspect she'll go toe to toe with the Mayor. At the same time, you can sweep Mary Margaret off her feet. She visited John Doe every day in the hospital," he mentioned. David allowed himself a smile. Even Regina's stupid curse couldn't erase their feelings.  
"Oh, I plan to. But what about Deimos? I'm guessing he's someone of importance in town?" David asked. Jefferson chuckled.  
"Get ready to be sick to your stomach then, because he runs the sleaziest tavern in town. He's dripping in money, probably because he's also running who knows what kinds of dealings from the club, unchecked, of course. The place is down by the cannery and is called Vertigo," Jefferson explained.  
"So basically he hasn't changed at all. He's the sick, twisted degenerate he always was," David said.  
"Here he goes by Damon Tromera," Jefferson said.  
"Fitting name for a blood sucker that's obsessed with my wife," David quipped. He nodded.  
"We should get to the hospital," Jefferson said. He nodded.  
"Time to get my wife back," David said.  
"She's not exactly your wife. You need to remember that," the Hatter warned.  
"You don't know Snow. She's in there and I will find her. I will always find her, even if that means getting her fall in love with me all over again," the prince said.

~*~

Mary Margaret trekked through the woods furiously, kind of surprising herself. She had never been one to venture into the woods that surrounded Storybrooke, but she found herself to be surprisingly adept at finding her way through. It seemed funny to her. In her life in town, she seemed almost to literally stumble through her life. And here she was, navigating the darkened forest like some kind of pro.  
But when she came face to face with John Doe at the Toll Bridge, she could hardly believe it and they seemed to stare at each other for the longest time.  
"Oh my God, Emma...I found him!" she called, as she found herself rushing to him. He smiled at her, soaking in the vision of beauty she was.  
"You found me," he agreed.  
"We were so worried!" she exclaimed.  
"I'm sorry for that. I...guess I woke up and got a little confused. I'm afraid I have no idea where I am...or who I am for that matter," he told her. He hoped Jefferson was right about acting like he didn't know who he was.  
But then he recalled Emma telling him that she had been laughed at when she was a child when she told people that her parents were Snow White and Prince Charming. For some reason, in this strange world, they were just fictional beings. So telling people that he was Prince Charming probably wouldn't do him any favors.

"It's okay...but we should really get you back to the hospital," she said. He smiled at her.  
"I'm glad you found me. You probably saved me," he replied, enjoying her blush.  
"I don't know about that," she stammered, as she tripped and yelped, as she started fall. But strong arms stopped her from taking a nasty tumble and she gazed up at him breathlessly, as he held her close.  
"I...I guess I'm not the only one doing the saving," she mentioned. He smiled.  
"Guess not," he agreed, as a blonde blur arrived and Charming finally lay eyes on his grown daughter. Sure, he saw her every night in the dreamscape. But somehow, seeing her like this was different and he found himself looking at her in awe.  
"There you are…" she said in relief.  
"Yeah...she found me, even though I don't even know her name yet," he replied.  
"Oh...I'm Mary...Mary Margaret," she stammered. He smiled.  
"It's wonderful to meet you Mary. I wish I could tell you my name, but I'm afraid I'm drawing a blank at the moment," he replied. Emma locked eyes with him and they were not the eyes of a confused man. They were the same eyes she saw every night in the dreamscape. Her father was awake...in more way than one.

~*~

It didn't take them long to get back to the hospital and the nurses quickly swarmed around him, insisting that they take him to the exam room to run some tests. He had no idea what any of that meant, but a nod from Mary and Emma told him he should do as they said for now. He could barely tear his gaze away from Mary Margaret. She was still his wife, but Jefferson was right. She seemed so unsure of herself and too timid, definitely not like Snow at all. It didn't matter though. She was still Snow, just buried behind a wealth of insecurities projected upon her by the Queen. He thought about what Jefferson said before. As hesitant as he was about teaming up with Rumplestiltskin before, now he knew that if he was going to get his family back that he needed his kind of help.

~*~

Mary Margaret twirled her ring nervously, as Emma talked with Graham. She waited anxiously to hear if John Doe was okay. He seemed fine, but the man had been in a coma for a very long time. She prayed there was no lasting damage because of that. She had no idea why she cared so much though. She didn't know him, not really. Why did he matter so much to her? She felt so drawn to him and decided she didn't care about the why. She just wanted to see him again and was going to venture down the hall to find him. But she was halted by a hand on her arm.  
"Miss Blanchard...how lovely to run into you here," Damon Tromera leered and Mary felt her entire body tense with unease. He was a tall, dark haired man with chiseled features. But his eyes had always made Mary shiver in fear, for they were so cold, almost dead. He was the creepiest man she had ever known, especially when he looked at her like he was now, like he wanted to take a bite out of her.  
"Oh...Mr. Tromera," she said, trying to pull her arm away.  
"So formal Mary...I really wish you'd call me Damon," he said, as his eyes skated over her.  
"Um...I need to go," she stammered.  
"Why such a rush? I'd love it if you'd join me for a cup of coffee," he said.  
"I don't think so," she replied.  
"Mary...why must you always turn me down? It's bordering on rude, you know," he said arrogantly.  
"I ask you out repeatedly and you say no. I send you all those lovely roses on a weekly basis and yet you still refuse me," he said and before Mary knew it, he had backed her into a corner.

"Please Mr. Tromera...I'm just not interested. It's nothing personal…" she stammered, barely able to make eye contact when he frightened her more by lifting her chin to force her to look at him. His eyes sent cold shivers down her spine and she shuddered, which only made him smirk smugly.  
"You don't like the roses?" he hissed.  
"Considering that I prick myself on the thorns every week, no they're not my favorite…" she blurted out and he chuckled at that.  
"A lucky thorn it is that has the pleasure of drawing your blood," he leered. It was by far the creepiest comment she had ever heard and she had never wanted to get away from someone more than she did now.  
"Perhaps you'd prefer daisies...or violets then?" he asked.  
"N...no...I just want to go," she said, her breathing now coming in ragged gasps, as he pressed closer to her. Her head felt like it was on fire now, like someone was screaming at her from inside. It was crazy, but she felt sudden violent urges telling her to fight. It was disturbing, for she had never fought anyone in her life, much less someone as large as him.  
"One date Miss Blanchard...and I promise you'll fall for me," he pressured. A tear slipped down her cheek. Maybe if she agreed, he'd leave her alone. But the fire in her head intensified at that thought. No...if she gave in, he'd never stop and he would hurt her. She could feel it. This man wanted to hurt her.  
"No," she said more clearly. But he didn't stop and as he leaned in to force his lips onto hers, she listened to the fire inside her and kneed him between the legs. He doubled over in pain and glared at her.  
"That was a mistake, Miss Blanchard. I guess you need a lesson on why," he growled, as he raised his hand to her. She gasped, but a voice stopped him.

"HEY!"  
Mary looked behind Damon and saw that her rescuer was none other than John Doe himself.  
"This is none of your concern, pretty boy," Damon growled.  
"She said no and you seem to have a hearing problem. Get away from her," Charming growled, barely containing his rage at the moment. Damon stared him down and slowly backed down.  
"Good evening, Miss Blanchard," he said, as he left quickly, just as he saw the Sheriff coming toward them.  
"Are you okay?" Charming asked, as Mary stared at him with captivation.  
"I...thanks to you," she uttered.  
"That's two rescues you have to my one now," she commented. He could only smile at her and soak her up.  
"I'm just glad I was here. I may not know who I am, but I know that the man that was just here was dangerous," he said.  
"He just really wants me to go out with him and I'm sorry, it must be terribly confusing to not know who you are," she replied.  
"It is, but there is one thing I do remember," he countered.  
"What's that?" she asked.  
"Your voice," he replied and she blushed under his charming smile, as they became absorbed in each other's gazes.

"Well, Mr. Doe, it seems that the doctor wants to see that you're taken back to your room," Graham said, though David recognized him as the Huntsman that had once saved both his and Snow's lives. He spared a glance at Emma and seeing her like this nearly took his breath away. His baby girl, all grown up and so incredibly beautiful and strong.  
"I'm...sorry I worried everyone when I wandered off. I got a little confused and wandered off. Fortunately, Jefferson found me when I wandered onto his property and helped me back here," Charming said, gesturing to the man, who leaned against the wall casually. Jefferson waved boredly, just as Dr. Whale arrived. He was someone David didn't recognize.  
"Mr. Nolan...I believe it is. You gave us quite a scare," Dr. Whale said.  
"Mr. Nolan?" David asked in confusion.  
"Yes, we have it on good authority that you are David Nolan. Does that ring any bells?" Whale asked.  
"Can't say that it does," David replied.  
"Well, be that as it may, I'd like to give you a full exam myself. The tests all came back normal, but I'm not fond of my patients wandering off," Whale said irritably.  
"For a doctor, your bedside manner is seriously lacking," Jefferson commented.  
"And you are?" Whale asked.  
"My friend," David answered. And the doctor noticed that he was still holding hands with Miss Blanchard. It figured. Mary Margaret had visited this man almost every day he was in his coma, despite claiming not to know him. It irked him, if for no other reason than he didn't like the fact that he couldn't compete with a man that was comatose until just a few hours ago in her eyes. She would have been a nice notch on his bedpost.

"Please Mr. Nolan, I'd really like to examine you," Whale pleaded. He nodded and looked at Mary Margaret.  
"Will you still be here when I'm done?" he asked. She nodded, probably too eagerly, but wild horses couldn't drag her away at this point. He smiled and he reluctantly let go of her hand, following Whale back into the stuffy hospital room.


	4. Seeing Red

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 4: Seeing Red

"You were pretty great in that little crisis we just had," Graham mentioned, as he handed her a cup of coffee. She smirked.  
"Usually finding people is my thing, but guess Mary deserves the credit on this one," she mentioned.  
"Still...you have a cool head under pressure and I was thinking that since I've been needing a deputy for a while now, that you'd be perfect," he replied. She glanced at him.  
"Are you offering me a job?" Emma asked.  
"The badge is yours in you want it. Pay is decent and there's dental. And your first assignment will be to complete the report on John Doe's little incident," Graham said.  
"I think you mean David Nolan," she corrected.  
"See? Detective work. You're a natural," he teased. She smirked. Taking the deputy job would allow her full access to Storybrooke's in and outs, which would help Operation Cobra along.  
"Well, then I guess you've got yourself a deputy. But don't expect me to wear that uniform," she answered. He smirked.  
"I think the red leather is a better uniform anyway," he responded, earning another smile out of her.  
"As for your first assignment as deputy, I'll have you take John...I mean David's statement," Graham said. She nodded.  
"Consider it done," Emma replied. She didn't tell him, but she'd be taking Mary into the room with her.

~*~

"Well...it seems you're fine, better than fine actually for a man that spent years in a coma," Whale said.  
"So...I don't have to stay here?" David asked.  
"Well...I'd like you to stay the night, just for observation," Whale replied. David sighed and saw Mary Margaret outside the room. He couldn't believe it had been twenty-eight years since he had last laid eyes on his wife. From Jefferson, he learned that she was a teacher, which he knew was something Snow herself would enjoy. But that was about the only bright spot in his her life under Regina's curse. He had dragged enough details out of Jefferson to know that. The Mayor went out of her way to publicly put her down and ridicule her every chance she got to make sure she pushed Snow down inside the alter ego of Mary Margaret as far as possible. But that was about to change. He was going to make his wife fall in love with him all over again and he was going to enjoy rubbing it in the Queen's face.  
"Fine...if I can't leave, then can I at least have visitors?" David asked. Whale glanced at him and then the pixie haired school teacher outside.  
"For a bit...but then I'll have insist that you get your rest," Whale said, as he exited the room, allowing Mary Margaret to go in.  
"I guess I'm stuck here, at least for tonight," he commented.  
"I'm sure it's just a precaution. You probably need your rest," she replied.  
"I feel like I've done enough resting for a lifetime," he said, as she sat beside his bed.

~*~

Regina gritted her teeth, as she spied Mary Margaret Blanchard in David Nolan's hospital room. The way the amnesiac was already looking at her with adoration that made her stomach twist in rage. Another irritant to add to it all was Kathryn's absence. She should have been here by now so Regina dialed her number.  
"Hello," Kathryn answered.  
"Kathryn...it's Regina. Are you on your way?" she asked.  
"On my way where?" Kathryn asked. Regina bit back a growl of frustration.  
"The hospital of course, dear. David is awake!" Regina said.  
"Yes...that's wonderful. But I doubt David would want to see me," Kathryn replied.  
"Why would you say that? You're his wife," Regina snapped.  
"Wife? Regina...David and I have been divorced for years now, even before the accident," Kathryn replied. Regina frowned.  
"What?" she growled.  
"I wish David all the best, but I don't think he'd want me there," she said. Regina wanted to throw something, but managed to keep her composure.  
"Of course...I guess I had forgotten. You and David were always so good together," Regina replied. Kathryn laughed.  
"That's kind of you say, Regina, but David and I were a disaster. I know you were always rooting for us, but we're better apart," Kathryn replied.  
"If you say so, dear. Have a good night," Regina said shortly, as she hung up and had to resist the urge to throw her phone against the wall.

"What the hell is going on?" she growled under her breath.  
An hour ago, she had awakened Kathryn's curse memories and the woman delighted that her husband was finally awake. And now she had done a complete turnaround.  
"Gold…" she growled. The question was why...why had he interfered? With that, she stalked into David Nolan's hospital room.

~*~

Emma wrote down his answers for Graham, as she sported the new badge on her hip. So far, he said aloud that he had no memories. But Emma could tell that wasn't true by the look in his eyes. She had seen her father look at her mother this way all her life inside the dreamscape. It wasn't shy and innocent the way Mary was looking at him. It was that indulgent captivation he always looked at her with, like she was his whole world. And then he looked at her and failed to hide the amazement in his cerulean eyes. He was looking at her too like she was everything.  
He knew...he was awake...and it made Emma's heart pound a little. She wouldn't be alone...she would have him to help her wake her mother.

"Okay...I should probably talk to this Jefferson guy, but it can probably wait until tomorrow," she mentioned aloud.  
"We should probably let you rest," Mary said.  
"I've been asleep a long time. I'm not really tried," he mentioned. Mary was about to speak again when they were interrupted.  
"What the hell is this?" Regina snapped. Mary jumped and David clenched his fist on the bedsheets.  
"Madam Mayor!" Mary started to say.  
"Save it Miss Blanchard and get out," Regina snapped. But David took her hand, surprising the raven haired beauty.  
"No," he stated.  
"Excuse me?" Regina challenged.  
"I don't want her to go. She saved me," David said. Mary turned to look at him in confusion.  
"You did...it was your voice that brought me back and then you found me in the woods," he told her and her tensed muscles slowly relaxed under his gaze.

"Fine…" Regina bit out furiously.  
"But what the hell are you doing here?" Regina snapped at the blonde.  
"Oh Graham probably hasn't had the chance to tell you yet, but I'm his new deputy," Emma said with a smug smile.  
"What?!" Regina exclaimed and Emma swore she was going to pop a blood vessel.  
"Yeah, he asked me if I wanted the job after we were done looking for Mr. Nolan and since I need a job, I accepted," Emma replied.  
"The real question is why are you here?" Emma asked.  
"Not that it's any of your business, Ms. Swan, but I am Mr. Nolan's emergency contact. I found him all those years ago," Regina snapped.  
"Really? Because until just a few hours ago, he was John Doe and then Whale tells me that you popped in with all this information on him. Seems a little fishy to me," Emma countered.  
"I don't have to explain myself to you, deputy. Henry, let's go," she snapped. The boy's shoulders slumped in disappointment.  
"Bye Mr. Nolan," he called.  
"Goodbye Henry," David called back.

"Wow...so that's the Mayor?" he asked.  
"Yeah, she gets a little ticked when can't control everything," Emma replied.  
"Did you see that vein on her neck? I thought for sure it was going to pop," Mary commented. Emma and David looked at her and then burst out laughing. Mary blushed, but then joined them in a laugh at the Mayor's expense.  
"Visiting hours are over. I'm going to have to ask you both to leave," a nurse said, as she popped in. Mary frowned and took a sharp breath, as his hand brushed hers.  
"Do you think you'll be able to come back tomorrow?" David asked.  
"I'd like to," she replied.  
"Good...me too," he said.  
"You saved me too, you know, from Mr. Tromera. He doesn't like when people tell him no," Mary mentioned shyly.  
"Well, he better get used to it," David replied. Mary smiled.  
"Goodnight David," Mary said.  
"Hey Mare...wait for me and I'll be out in a second. I just need him to sign his statement and all that official police stuff," Emma explained. Mary nodded and slipped out.

They stared at each other for a few seconds and she swallowed thickly.  
"Dad…" she uttered in the barest whisper. He smiled.  
"Emma…" he said reverently. She closed her eyes to keep the tears back.  
"You're awake," she whispered.  
"It would appear so," he replied. Emma breathed in relief. She knew she couldn't hug him...not here. It would raise too many questions.  
"I know...we have a lot to talk about, but know that we will get your mother back," he assured. She nodded.  
"I love you Dad," she whispered.  
"I love you too, princess," he whispered back. She turned away reluctantly.  
"Oh...this Tromera guy. Who the hell is he?" Emma asked.  
"Someone very dangerous, even without his memories," he warned.  
"How come you and Mom never told me about him?" Emma asked.  
"We thought he was gone...dead before the curse even happened. I'll tell you everything as soon as we have the opportunity," he promised. She nodded and quietly left at that point. She met Mary Margaret at the elevator.  
"Everything okay?" she asked.  
"Yeah...just had to finish a couple things on that report," she fibbed.  
"But there's also something I want to ask you," Emma continued.  
"Sure," Mary replied.  
"That Damon Tromera guy...does he harass you like that all the time?" Emma asked.  
"Oh...um, he just really wants me to go out with him, but he kind of scares me," Mary confessed.  
"I'm sure he's harmless though," the teacher added.  
"No...he's not, Mare. Whale is harmless, creepy, but harmless. This guy is trouble and I want you be careful," Emma warned.  
"Oh...okay," Mary replied.  
"I'm serious...I know guys like him. Promise you'll tell me if he gets too intense," Emma stressed.  
"I promise," Mary responded, as they walked out to Emma's car.

~*~

The Enchanted Forest

60 Years Before the Dark Curse

The following day, Persephone hurried to their place in the forest with anxious energy. Mother was going to help them. She was going to see them off to a place out of Hades reach where they could be together and raise their daughter.  
But the eerie silence that met her upon her arrival was unnerving.  
"My love?" she called nervously. Panic grew in her heart, as she heard an utterance of pain. She hurried toward the sound and screamed, as she witnessed her beloved, lying bloodied and broken on the ground. Standing over him was the God of terrorhimself, Deimos.  
"Deimos...what have you done?" she cried. He smirked deviously, as she rushed to Elijah and lifted his head into her lap. She caressed his face, as he managed to look up at her.  
"Persephone…" he groaned.  
"It's all right, my love. I'm here," she soothed.  
"I was just following orders," Deimos said nonchalantly.  
"What orders?" she snapped.  
"Mine…" Hades revealed, as he emerged from the shadows.  
"How...you're forbidden to come to this realm!" she spat.  
"Yes...but with the assistance of a God, I can gain temporary passage," Hades replied, looking at Deimos.

"Zeus will not stand for this, Deimos!" she refuted.  
"Zeus' time is long passed. The mortals have been getting off easy! They no longer worship us like the Gods we are! They need to be taught their place again...just like this one," Deimos hissed, pointing at the beaten prince. In a cloud of smoke, a newcomer appeared.   
"She's right, brother. Return with me now and perhaps you can avoid punishment for aligning with Hades," Phonos, the God of dread, said as he approached.  
"You have gone soft, brother! Just as father has! Gods of war and dread,yet you sit above on your ivory thrones while allowing these insipid mortals to war without us! It's a disgrace!" he raged.  
"Zeus has allowed mortals to forget us and he allows us to breed with them too...he himself even breeds with them!" Deimos continued.  
"He may allow it...but I do not. No Queen of mine will carry a half breed spawn," Hades hissed. Persephone put a hand to her belly protectively and Demeter appeared before her daughter.  
"You will not touch my daughter or my grandchild," the Goddess hissed.  
"She is mine...for a third of every year! She has betrayed me and whored herself to this mortal prince!" Hades raged.  
Demeter's hands glowed and she touched the swell of her daughter's stomach.  
"You cannot harm this child, Hades," Demeter said, as she ensured her granddaughter's safety. Hades seethed.  
"Maybe I can't. But I can employ those that can," he stated. Deimos smirked and started toward Persephone.  
"Take good care of the brat...so it will be satisfying when I crush her skull in my hand upon her birth," he hissed.  
"You won't touch her as long as I exist. I am still bound to you, Hades for a third of the year and I will continue to fulfill my commitment, but you will not touch my daughter or my beloved again!" Persephone said with fiery determination.

"It's going to be all right, my love. I'm going to see you far from here and then I'll find you," she whispered to him.  
"My darling…" he uttered weakly, as he lifted his hand to caress her beautiful cheek.  
"Oh...I don't think he'll be going anywhere, except to my realm...where I promise him a very unhappy afterlife," Hades growled, as he revealed Elijah's glowing red heart in his hand.  
"NO!" Persephone pleaded.  
"Hades...don't do this!" Demeter pleaded. The God of the Underworld only glowered at her, as he crushed the heart to diamond dust. Persephone let out a gut wrenching cry, as her love died in her arms. Demeter put her arms around her daughter, as she sobbed uncontrollably. A ring of frost surrounded Persephone, creeping outward to the flora around them. Hades smirked.  
"Looks like winter is coming early this year," Hades said, as he disappeared back to the Underworld with his captive wife. Demeter glared at Deimos.  
"You will punished for your part in this," she promised, as she disappeared.  
"You've got to be kidding me!" Emma exclaimed. She knew it wasn't Granny's fault. The old woman looked positively guilt ridden.

~*~

"I'm sorry...the Mayor won't allow me to rent to...felons," Granny said regrettably. Emma seethed inwardly. Those juvenile records were supposed to be sealed, but somehow, Regina had gotten to them. Emma sighed...guess she was sleeping in the bug. It wouldn't have been the first time. She thought for a moment. There was Mary Margaret. She somehow knew she'd take her in. She felt a little bad imposing, but if her mother learned she was sleeping in the car(again), especially with her alter ego right there, she would have a fit. Emma dialed Mary's number.  
"Hello," Mary answered.  
"Hi Mare...sorry to call so late, but Regina got to Granny so my room here at the inn is a no go," Emma said.  
"Oh...my extra room is yours then," Mary said. Emma closed her eyes, exhaling in relief.  
"Thanks. I'll see you in a few minutes," she replied. Emma put her bag in the bug and noticed the hardware store across the street. She smirked to herself. She'd be stopping by there tomorrow. She just hoped the small store sold chainsaws.

~*~

It was nearly midnight and David found himself too anxious to sleep. Even the prospect of seeing Snow and Emma in the dreamscape wasn't helping and then he knew why when a figure appeared in the doorway of his room.  
As he emerged from the shadows, David was surprised by his use of a cane and looked the other man in the eyes.  
"I almost didn't recognize you without the scales," David commented.  
"You should be nice to me. I saved you from having to deal with a fake wife," Gold stated. David raised an eyebrow.  
"Fake wife?" he asked.  
"The moment you awoke, Regina activated false memories in Princess Abigail of you as her husband. Thanks to me, Kathryn, as she is known here, is your ex-wife," Gold explained.  
"Let me guess, that was Regina's attempt at a clever ploy to keep Snow and me apart," he said, with an eye roll. Gold nodded curtly.  
"Well...thanks for that then. You're here because of the message Jefferson sent you, I assume?" he said.  
"Among other things. Care to tell me how your daughter knows everything already?" Gold asked. David smirked.  
"Oh that. Well, that's because for the last twenty-eight years, we've been a family inside a dreamscape each night we sleep. Or for me rather, I've been there permanently, until today," David explained. A dreamscape...it was extraordinary. He knew of only one being with the power to create such circumstance and that was Morpheus himself. His earlier presumption that a certain Goddess had indeed stepped in to interfere where she could was all but confirmed.  
"And Miss Swan...Emma…" he corrected.  
"She remembers everything when she awakens?" he asked. The Prince nodded.  
"She does...Snow doesn't, obviously and somehow I awoke with my real memories," David replied.

"Regina didn't give you any false memories, because of the coma. I don't think she expected you to ever wake up. So it makes sense that you woke up with your real identity in tact. Drink this, because she'll try to invoke those subsequent false memories to keep you away from your wife," he said, handing him the potion.  
"I thought there was no magic in this land?" David asked.  
"Only what I brought with me. This will protect you from anything Regina brought with her," Gold replied.  
"What's the price?" David asked. Gold smirked.  
"We form an alliance," Gold replied.  
"An alliance?" the prince asked, after he finished drinking the sour liquid.  
"Yes, you help me find the woman I love, we make Regina pay for what she's done and you help your daughter break the curse. As a bonus, you can twist the knife in the Queen by getting Mary Margaret Blanchard to fall in love with you. That shouldn't be hard for Prince Charming himself," Gold mused.  
"You want the curse broken?" David asked in confusion.  
"You're not the only one with a lost child," Gold answered. David wanted to ask more, but left it at that for now, as Jefferson slipped in.  
"Deal. But this place must have really poor security," the prince commented, as they shook on the deal.  
"Well, that happens when you put the sleeping dwarf on night guard," Jefferson retorted.  
"Sleepy is on night guard by himself?" David asked incredulously.  
"To be fair, he's Walter here," Jefferson replied.  
"Come on...she's in the basement. Psych ward," Jefferson said. That fact alone made Gold seethe with rage.  
"Regina is going to pay," Gold growled, as David slipped into the clothes Jefferson had dropped on the bed. They seemed just as foreign as the clothing he had put on earlier.

"This land is strange," David said, as he put the jeans on then shed the hospital gown.  
"Nice muscles. Put the shirt on and let's go," Jefferson said impatiently. David slipped it on and followed them out.  
"Do you really think all three of us should be going down here?" David whispered.  
"If we're going to start working against Regina? Then yes. Plus there are things you need on a successful team that all three of us have," Jefferson replied, missing Gold rolling his eyes.  
"And that would be?" David asked.  
"Brains...which of course is the Dark One extraordinaire here. Then there's you...equal parts muscle and charm. And then there's me," Jefferson said. David quirked an eyebrow.  
"And you're what exactly?" the prince asked.  
"The wild card," Jefferson replied, with a smirk.  
"So the crazy," David said, earning a glower from the Hatter.  
"Watch it, chisel chin. I'm not crazy...I'm not mad," Jefferson corrected.  
"That's debatable," Gold muttered.  
"I'm eccentric," he continued and David snorted.  
"Fine...eccentric," he muttered.

"Stop wasting time, Hatter. We need to get past Nurse Ratchet," Gold hissed.  
"Patience, oh Dark One. That's why I knew tonight would be perfect. You see, Ratchet is harder to get past, unless you have a good tranquilizer, but tonight is her night off. Nurse Merryweather is on watch tonight in the bonkers ward," Jefferson explained.  
"What is your point?" Gold asked impatiently.  
"My point is that Merryweather will get all googly eyed over Charmz here," Jefferson replied, looking at the prince.  
"You're her type," Jefferson added.  
"You want me to flirt with her?" David asked uneasily.  
"Bingo...there are some brains behind all that handsome, after all," Jefferson commented.  
"Fine," David grumbled.  
"Do a good job. We know you only have eyes for a certain raven haired princess, but this is important," Jefferson stressed.  
"I got it," David snapped, as he sighed and pretended to look lost, as he approached the desk.

"Sir...you can't be down here," the nurse said immediately.  
"Oh...yeah, I'm kind of lost, I guess," he said, as he leaned against her desk, putting on his most charming smile.  
"You're the John Doe that just woke up," she said, with a shy blush. He smirked.  
"Actually, they told me my name is David," he replied, giving her his semi-best smolder. The full smolder he reserved only for Snow, but it worked nonetheless.  
"David…" she said dreamily.  
"I know I'm not supposed to up, but I mean, I've done nothing but sleep for years, so I guess I'm not really tired, you know?" he explained.  
"No...I suppose you wouldn't be," she replied, eating up his every word.  
"I was thinking...it's pretty dead around here and since I'm not supposed to be up...maybe you could go get us some coffee?" he suggested. The woman looked like she was going to faint.  
"I'm...I'm not supposed to leave the desk," she stammered.  
"I know...but I'd watch it for you. It could be our secret," he whispered.  
"O...Okay...I'll be right back!" she said. He gave her another charming smile.  
"Good...then we can get to know each other better," he replied. She dropped her purse at that and then scrambled to pick it up. She smiled dreamily at him and then hurried up the stairs. David sighed.  
"That was mean," he complained. Jefferson chuckled.  
"No...that was effortless. When this is over, you're coming to the Rabbit Hole with me as my wing man," the Hatter replied. David tossed him the keys. The Prince had no idea what any that meant, but he was doubtful it was something he'd enjoy.

"Let's hurry," he urged, as the Hatter led them to the correct cell.  
"Who else does she have hidden down here?" David wondered idly, as he glanced around.  
"Never mind that for now, handsome," Jefferson chided.  
The Hatter unlocked the cell and Gold froze in his tracks, as he lay eyes on her for the first time in almost thirty years. It was true. Regina had lied and had her locked up all this time. He boiled with unbridled rage. Oh...she was going to pay. He had no magic...yet so he would have to get creative until then, but she was going to pay. Helping the prince was the right decision. Regina would loathe Snow White's happiness. And with Emma Swan around, happy endings would be restored one by one. He would see that the throne Regina had built would slowly crumble beneath her.  
"Belle…" he uttered.  
"Who...who are you?" she asked with trepidation.  
"We're here to get you out of here. You've been a prisoner in here too long," Jefferson said.  
"Why...why is he staring at me?" she asked fearfully.  
"It's a long story...but you can trust us. He'll protect you from the person that locked you away in here," Jefferson pleaded.

"He's telling the truth," David interjected.  
"The same person that locked you up locked me in here too. But Mr. Gold is helping me and he'll help you too," David assured.  
"You're a prisoner here too?" Belle asked. He smiled and nodded.  
"Yes and I remember who I am now. I promise you will too, eventually," David said. Belle smiled back and took his hand.  
"Go with Mr. Gold..You can trust him," David urged. Gold pushed his emotions back and offered his hand. She took it and they hurried back upstairs.  
"You gotta teach me how you get people to eat out of your hand like that," Jefferson commented. David rolled his eyes. He felt a little bad for leading the nurse on, but he indeed only had eyes for one woman. In this land, she happened to be a beautiful, sweet, albeit meek schoolteacher. But inside her was his fierce and radiant wife, Snow White. He was going to get her back and Regina was going to pay...


	5. Hope Will Return

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 5: Hope Will Return

The Dreamscape

"Snow...Emma…" David called. He was finally asleep again. The problem was...he had no memories of his time awake, just like Snow. For some reason, it was only Emma that remembered both.  
"Charming! There you are! I've been so worried!" Snow fretted, as she rushed into his arms. He smiled and caught her, before spinning her around, while kissing her passionately.  
"Guys…" Emma complained playfully. Snow smiled against his lips, as he slowly lowered her to her feet.  
"Sorry I'm late, my darling," he whispered.  
"I was worried when you weren't here, but Emma said it's because you've awakened. She said you've been comatose all these years," Snow said.  
"I guess that would make sense," he replied.  
"So...do you remember anything you did while awake?" Emma asked.  
"I'm afraid not. It must be the curse. Until it's broken, maybe your mother and I won't be able to remember both," he guessed with a shrug.  
"I remember everything," she muttered, wondering if she should tell him he had his real memories. But maybe it was best he didn't know that yet. She hugged him tightly and felt comfort, as she always did when he cradled her head.  
"You guys weren't exaggerating, you know. Regina is evil," Emma stated. Charming nodded and Snow looked sad.

"She wasn't always like this," Snow admonished.  
"Then how the hell did she get like this?" Emma asked.  
"For a very long time...I blamed myself. Sometimes I still do," Snow said.  
"Mom,"  
"Snow," they protested together.  
"I told a secret...but Regina's pain started before she met me. I was just the catalyst. The real evil...the person that made Regina into what she is was her mother...Cora," Snow began to explain.

~*~

Flashback

Approximately 60 years before the Dark Curse

When Demeter appeared on Olympus, she was not surprised to see solemn faces meet her. Athena stepped forward first.  
"We will do whatever necessary to protect your grandchild. I have foreseen that she will the fairest in all the realms," Athena said.  
"And she will be strong with the heart of a warrior," Artemis added.  
"Thank you. But Deimos has joined Hades and promised to kill her upon her birth," Demeter said, glaring at Ares.  
"Deimos is restless. Peace does not suit him," Ares said.  
"Suit him? He has all but declared war on mortals!" Demeter cried, as she turned to Zeus.  
"We must imprison Deimos and find a way to protect my grandchild. Persephone will want her no where near Hades," she stated.  
"Deimos will be dealt with...severally," Zeus agreed.  
"Zeus...please!" Area pleaded.   
"He is a threat to all, Ares," Zeus argued. The God of War clenched his fists, but kept his rage at bay.

"You've gone so soft, father. It's pathetic," Deimos spat, as he appeared.  
"Deimos...my son, what are you doing?" Ares protested.  
"I'm making way for a new ruler," he hissed, as blew back the other Gods with blasts of dark magic, including Zeus. He stalked toward the pedestal where the Olympian crystal hovered in its stasis.  
"Hades told me that this crystal could destroy you all and then he shall reign as the Supreme God! Mortals will then finally know their places again!" Deimos said, his eyes black with the lust for power.  
"You don't want to do that, Deimos," Zeus warned.  
"Shut up...your time has passed. Hades will rule and mortals will grovel at my feet as I will be his right hand. And they will live in constant fear!" Deimos ranted, as he grabbed the crystal. But his cackling died on his lips, as the power scorched him and the white fire consumed his body, as he screamed in agony. When the fire faded, Deimos remained, but his immortal glow was gone.

"What...what have you done to me?" he asked, as his dark magic could no longer be summoned.  
"I made sure the crystal could never fall into the wrong hands. You are now the thing you hate most...mortal and I cast you from Olympus...forever!" Zeus decreed.  
"NO! You can't do this!" Deimos screeched, as he was engulfed in a puff of white smoke and deposited on the Earth, as vulnerable as any mortal now.  
"Zeus...my daughter, we must find a way to protect her child," Demeter pleaded. Athena nodded and revealed her plan to do just that.

~*~

"Good morning," Mary Margaret greeted, as she poured two cups of coffee.  
"Oh good...coffee," Emma muttered, as she stumbled down the stairs.  
"You're up really early," she mentioned, as she took a big sip of coffee, which she had long been convinced was the nectar of the Gods.  
"I'm a morning person," Mary shrugged.  
"It's Sunday," Emma countered and Mary looked guilty.  
"Anxious to get to the hospital?" the blonde teased.  
"Am I a complete idiot?" the schoolteacher asked.  
"No...not with David anyway," Emma answered.  
"How do you mean?" Mary asked.  
"Well...I sort of have this superpower so to speak. I know a liar when I see one and that usually means I can detect a scumbag when I encounter them," Emma explained.  
"You must have really good instincts," Mary mentioned.  
"So do you Mom...they're just buried," Emma thought to herself.

"So you think David isn't just pretending to be a good guy?" she asked curiously.  
"No...he's genuine. Damon Tromera on the other hand...that guy is not only the biggest slime ball in the Universe, but I'm pretty sure he's dangerous," the deputy warned.  
"I got that feeling too," the pixie haired woman replied.  
"Yeah...go with that feeling. Whale is skeevy and mostly harmless. They both want in your pants, though I suspect Whale wants in any woman's pants that will let him. Damon though...that guy probably has done stuff that he should be in jail for," Emma warned.  
"And David?" Mary asked hopefully. Emma smiled.  
"He's a rarity. One of the few good ones and obviously just as smitten with you," Emma assured.  
"You think?" the raven haired beauty asked. The blonde smirked.  
"It's written all over his face when he looks at you," Emma said.

"Then you don't think it would be too soon to date?" she asked uncertainly.  
"Usually I don't believe in true love much. But it does exist so if you find something that rare, it has to be fought for. And let's just say, I know the real thing when I see it," Emma said. It may not have been a subtle prodding, but with her parents, they didn't need subtle. They belonged together like no two people ever had. They were the epitome of true love and she knew as much as she could help reach her mother, it was ultimately her father that could truly awaken their love inside her.  
"I don't know...I wonder if I could really have something good like that. I've been alone for so long," she murmured.  
"You can and you deserve it. Don't you dare let Regina get to you," Emma implored.  
"I just don't know why she hates me so much. I don't remember doing anything to her," Mary replied.  
"Some people aren't happy, so they have to ruin other people's happiness to feel better about themselves," Emma told her.  
"I guess...so you think David is a good guy?" the teacher asked again. The blonde smirked again.  
"As close to Prince Charming as you can get," Emma answered.

~*~

Regina stormed into Gold's shop early the next morning in a fury.  
"Madam Mayor, maybe you missed the sign, but I'm not open yet," Gold stated.  
"Like I care. We need to talk," Regina snapped.  
"Do we?" Gold questioned.  
"What's your name?" she growled. He smirked.  
"Mr. Gold...didn't you see the sign outside?" he said, pointing to the door.  
"Don't get cute with me...what is your real name?" she snapped. Gold was confident from this line of questioning that the Mayor was not yet aware of Belle's absence from the psychiatric ward at the hospital. She would soon know, probably before lunchtime, in fact. But for now, he would enjoy toying with her. When she confronted him again, then he would play his hand and make it clear that he was going to make her pay.  
"I'm not exactly sure what you're looking for, Madam Mayor. I am Mr. Gold. Mister. Gold," he repeated, rather enjoying the fury on her face.  
"Dammit Gold...you know what I mean!" she screamed. He was silent, giving her an unnerving stare.

"No, Madam Mayor, I am afraid I do not. I know your young son was in quite a predicament yesterday, so I'll let your foul treatment of me slide...today," he warned. She searched his eyes and knew he was awake. But she also knew if her old mentor didn't want to say so, then he wouldn't until it suited him. He was like a snake and she had to be careful around him, especially if he truly had helped Charming. It baffled her though. He didn't just do things out of the kindness of his heart, which meant that idiot prince had something he wanted or so she thought.  
"Fine, I don't have time for your games...today," she echoed, as she stormed out. Belle was still at his home. He had shown her the basics of how to operate certain appliances, including the phone in case she needed him. And he had provided her many books to read about this land and the town, of which she was eagerly devouring when he left for the shop. That would appease her for now, but he knew Belle. Even without her memories, she would want to interact with this new world and he would have to keep a watchful eye. If Regina dared to go after her again, he would have to find a way to counter her without magic. His alliance with Jefferson and Charming and by that extension, the Savior, would prove to be very useful...

~*~

Flashback

Approximately 60 years before the Dark Curse

As Deimos dropped to the ground, horrified by his new existence, Hades appeared to him through the reflective surface of Lake Nostos.  
"It would seem that my brother's treachery knows no bounds, my friend," the God of the Underworld said regrettably.  
"He...he must pay! He has curse me to a mortal existence!" Deimos raged.  
"Yes...losing you as a right hand is most disturbing indeed," Hades agreed.  
"I can still aide you! You must help me seek revenge!" Deimos pleaded. Hades smirked.  
"There may be a way. Go to the Dark One's castle. He owes me a favor and cannot refuse. We will make him devise a solution to your problem," Hades said.

~*~

Since visiting hours didn't start until ten at the hospital, Emma left before Mary with the intention of making a secret stop at there to see her father before heading to the station. Graham wanted her to take the day shifts. She thought that was kind of odd since most bosses would leave the night shifts to the lower ranks. But he claimed to like the night shift so Emma wasn't going to complain.  
Sneaking in before visiting hours was a little too easy with the sleeping dwarf on guard and she wasn't surprised to see her father awake. His face lit up at the sight of her and she felt an instant warmth in her; something she usually didn't feel when awake.

"Emma…" he uttered.  
"Hey Dad," she whispered, as she sat down next to her bed.  
"You're here early," he said pleasantly surprised.  
"Yeah, I have the early shift at the station. I just wanted to tell you I think Mom will be by today. So you know, turn on the charm," she teased and he chuckled.  
"You saw her already?" he asked.  
"I'm actually staying with her. Regina pressured Granny into refusing me a room. She thinks that will run me out of town," she explained.  
"That woman…" he growled.  
"But I guess I'm glad you're under the same roof as Snow. That makes me feel more at ease. I guess now it's just up to me to court your mother all over again," he said.  
"Yeah, that's kind of why I came. They don't call it courting here. They call it dating," Emma corrected.  
"Okay...dating. Got it," he said.  
"Yeah and they do different stuff here too. You can't go stringing Mom up in a net," she teased.  
"Very funny," he replied.  
"Just start by asking her to dinner at Granny's. It's casual," Emma suggested.  
"Okay, but I think the woods will really jog her memory. That's where we fell in love, you know," he said. She smiled.  
"I know. There is the toll bridge. I don't think it's a coincidence that this is where Mom found you last night or you found her," she said.  
"It would make a great place for an after dinner walk," she hinted. He grinned.  
"That's perfect. Thanks Em," he said.  
"You're welcome, but I gotta go," she said.  
"Okay...be careful. Even without magic, Regina is conniving and dangerous," he warned.  
"I will. Love you," she said.  
"Love you too princess," he said, as he watched her go. He was now a bundle of anxious energy. He wanted his family whole and he wanted it now.

~*~

Graham officially finished all the paperwork for his new deputy that morning. He realized it might seem hasty to some to hire this newcomer, but it had actually been at the suggestion of Mr. Gold the evening before. Graham had been running a little ragged lately and Gold had merely mentioned that having someone to help that also had some experience with the law might be greatly beneficial to their town.  
Normally, he would question the pawnbroker's motivations, but he wasn't wrong about Emma Swan's experience as a bail bonds-person possibly being a valuable asset to the Sheriff's department. He had the budget for it and Regina would hate it. He found the later to be a surprising motivation to hire her as well.  
So almost before he knew what was happening, he was handing the beautiful blonde the badge. He could admit that it was impulsive and not usually his way, but there was something special about Emma Swan. He had felt so since the moment she rolled into town. And lately, quiet and boring Storybrooke seemed to explode with a multitude of problems. Normally, he was a lone wolf, but taking on a deputy would be to the benefit of the people and that was what mattered most.

~*~

Regina set a bowl of her freshly picked honey crisp apples on the table. They were the cream of the crop from her prized tree and she picked one up, looking at it while recalling how an apple just like this one had sent her wretched step-daughter into a permanent slumber. Or at least it should have been permanent. She had planned to execute Charming just to make sure there would be no waking Snow. But his escape had led to true love's kiss waking Snow White and destroying everything she had worked for. What she wouldn't give for another poison apple to force down Mary Margaret Blanchard's pretty little throat.  
But that wasn't an option. With no magic, she was going to have to get more creative. Gold had ruined her perfect plot to trap David in a marriage to Kathryn. Now that they were officially "divorced", it made giving him false memories a bit moot. No, she needed something else and she didn't know what yet, but she knew she would find something. She would be damned if she let Snow have her happiness after twenty-eight perfect years of making sure she was miserable.

She delighted in making sure to call her out in public every chance she got. A barb here, an insult there, and it had successfully made her into a shell of her former self. She chuckled to herself. She could barely make eye contact with anyone. It was a bonus that Damon Tromera was practically obsessed with her and stalked her.  
"Hmm...maybe I can find a way to encourage him to be even bolder," she mused.  
The only thing Mary Margaret seemed to love about her life was her job. Maybe she could take that. It would be easy to call the school and force them to terminate her employment. But no...Regina wanted it to be a very public shaming. There was no dirt to dig up on squeaky clean Mary Margaret, but that wouldn't stop her. She'd think of the perfect revenge...she always did.

Her reverie of just how she wanted to humiliate her step-daughter was interrupted when she heard an awful buzzing sound in the backyard. She hurried out and nearly fell over, as she watched the blonde menace take a chainsaw to her prized tree.  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Regina screamed, as Emma killed the saw.  
"Oh this? This is for messing with me," Emma spat.  
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Swan," Regina goaded with an evil gleam in her eyes.  
"My records were sealed…" Emma hissed.  
"Oh, you mean your criminal record?" Regina taunted. Emma turned the saw on and finished off the tree, even as Regina yelled at her to stop.  
"Your move, bitch. Oh...and do whatever the hell you want to me, but don't involve my son…" Emma spat.  
"He's my son…" Regina growled back.  
"For now. And leave Mary Margaret and David the hell alone," Emma warned. Regina narrowed her gaze.  
"And why would you care so much about them?" Regina asked suspiciously.  
"They're my friends," Emma replied simply, as she stalked back to her car. But Regina wasn't convinced. There was something else, but she couldn't put her finger on it. For now though, this wouldn't stand and she dialed a number on her phone.  
"Find a way to unseal the rest of her records," Regina said into the receiver, before hanging up. She had the criminal record, but everything else from her childhood was still sealed. But Regina was determined to change that.

~*~

In effort to help him acclimate to this world, Jefferson had left a satchel full of books for him to go through the previous evening. It was a bit daunting, but Regina had twenty-eight years of knowledge of the way this world worked on him.  
It boggled his mind at how intricate the curse was. The detail that went into it...the false memories that everyone, save for a few, had. The amount of dark magic it must have taken was mind blowing. It had inserted this town into a vast country seamlessly with those of this land being none the wiser. It was a strange land with strange customs, strange clothing, and though there was supposedly no magic, it had fascinating devices that certainly seemed like they should be magic.  
But as he learned from reading, the magic of this world just had a different name. Technology. He read everything he could about the town. He didn't understand all of it. Regina was in charge though; that was enough to know that people were miserable.  
His protective nature swelled in him when he thought of Snow living under Regina's thumb and with the threat of Deimos, a former God and evil to the core, stalking her. It made his blood boil. He had no idea how Deimos had survived their final encounter back in the Enchanted Forest, but if he got near Snow...Mary...he wouldn't survive again. He'd make sure of it.

Those troubling thoughts were interrupted thought by a most welcome voice, as he looked up and saw the vision of her in the doorway.  
"Hi," Mary said shyly. His face lit up with a smile, as she stepped in.  
"Hi," he greeted, as he put the book aside.  
"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said.  
"Not at all," he replied, as she sat beside the bag.  
"I probably wasn't supposed to, but I thought you might be tired of hospital food so I stopped at the bakery and bought a cinnamon roll. It's huge and there's no way I can eat all of it by myself," she said, as she took it and two plastic forks out of the paper bag.  
"The food this morning left a lot to be desired. The oatmeal they tried to feed me was pretty much flavorless paste," he agreed. She crinkled her nose and handed him a fork, as they dug into the large pastry together.  
"Mmm...that's really good. I love cinnamon," he said. She smiled.  
"Me too," she replied. He did indeed like cinnamon, but Snow had always been the one that couldn't get enough of it. And the thing he loved most about cinnamon wasn't really really eating it, but rather tasting it on her lips when he kissed her. Gods...he wanted to kiss her. But he knew it was too soon.  
"So...do you think they'll be releasing you soon?" Mary asked curiously.  
"I hope so...I may have no memories, but I know I don't do well being confined," he mentioned.  
"Maybe they'll let you outside for a walk in the courtyard? We...could go together?" she suggested. He smiled.  
"I'd like that," he replied. She smiled shyly and noticed a smudge of frosting on the corner of his mouth.  
"Hold still," she said, as she took her thumb and wiped the frosting from the corner of his mouth. But then she noticed how close they were now and they gazed into each other's eyes. And for him, it made him recall a very good memory.

~*~

"Hold still," Snow chided, as she wiped the smudge of fruit jam from the corner of his mouth. It was a rare afternoon where they had managed to escape the palace to have a picnic together. Usually their afternoons were spent tending to royal duties, responsibilities, or weapons training to keep in practice. So today was a very nice reprieve.   
"You know, there's a better way you could clean that off," he teased. She looked at him coyly.  
"Really?" she asked.  
"Mmmhmm," he hummed, as their faces were mere inches apart. Snow smirked and kissed his lips in short pecks and she hummed into his kiss, as he locked her lips in a longer, passionate kiss.   
"You're right, that is better," she mused.  
"I can show you even better," he said in a husky tone. She smirked and he watched, mesmerized, as she climbed into his lap, while bunching up her casual gown.  
"Then by all means, Prince Charming...show me," she purred. Their lips met anew and he kissed her deeply, his tongue dancing with hers. She was breathless by the time he lowered her to the blanket beneath them on the forest floor and despite being on the ground, he managed to make them fly…

~*~

He willed himself back to reality and gave her a half smile.  
"Thanks," he said, as she found herself lost in his sapphire gaze.  
"So...I can check with the nurse's station about that walk," she mentioned.  
"Sounds perfect," he replied. She smiled and left briefly to arrange a walk for him with the nurses. It was only a matter of time now. The curse would break. He would get his wife back. They would finally be a family. And Regina was going to lose...


	6. The Road to True Love

Dreaming Out Loud:

Chapter 6: The Road to True Love

The next afternoon

"I still think this is a bad idea, Mr. Nolan. You just woke up from a coma," Regina said sternly.  
"And Dr. Whale says there's no real reason to keep me here. Whatever injuries I sustained before my coma have long since healed," David responded. His back was turned to her, as he packed the few meager belongings he had.  
"I just think Granny's Inn might be a more suitable place for you to stay," Regina tried to reason. David smirked. Yes, he supposed Granny's would make it easier for the Queen to keep tabs on him; something she wouldn't be able to do so easily if he stayed with Jefferson. And that was exactly the point.

"With all due respect, Madam Mayor, Jefferson has graciously offered his spare room and I accepted. I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine," he said, as neutrally as possible.  
"Jefferson is unstable," Regina snapped.  
"He's my friend. Now, if you'll excuse me, he's waiting down in the lobby for me," David added, as he brushed past her.  
"Fine...but I'll give you another piece of wise advice. You should stay away from Mary Margaret Blanchard," Regina advised. David clenched his teeth and tried to quell the rage that burned in him.  
"Really?" he challenged.  
"Yes...she's trouble," Regina warned. He scoffed.  
"Mary Margaret? The sweet, beautiful schoolteacher?" he questioned. Regina pursed her lips.  
"Yes...well I'm starting to think it's a profession she's ill-suited for," Regina answered.  
"She'll destroy your life," Regina claimed. David rolled his eyes.  
"Good day, Madam Mayor," he said, as he walked away, leaving Regina boiling in her own skin.

~*~

The Enchanted Forest

Approximately 60 Years Before the Dark Curse

Deimos found the castle of the Dark One easily enough. The simpering village folk managed to give him the general direction. He hated this...he hated being like them. He missed invoking terror into the hearts of these lesser beings and watching the life leave their eyes when he sent them to Hades. Zeus would pay for this and this Dark One would help him.  
As he burst into the castle, he heard a high pitched, maniacal giggle.   
"Who is there? Show yourself!" Deimos bellowed.  
"Careful about giving orders, dearie. Even if you were still a God, your power was never a match for mine," Rumpelstiltskin warned in a sing-song voice. The dark haired former God turned to find an imp with glittery, leather-like skin looking back at him through golden eyes.   
"So...you're this fierce Dark One I've been told about?" Deimos said, unimpressed.   
"And you're the terrifying God of Terror, son of Ares, that I've barely heard about," Rumple mocked.   
"Hades has sent me. You will help me," Deimos demanded. Rumple let out a high-pitched giggle.  
"Yes, I know. I'm the Dark One, dearie. I saw you coming...long before now," Rumple continued to mock. Deimos' temper flared and he clenched his fist. The Dark One chuckled again.  
"Temper, temper," he chided.  
"Then Hades told you I would be coming," he stated. Rumple laughed again.  
"Not the brightest star in the sky, are you?" he teased.  
"How dare you? I am a God! Son of Ares...you should tremble in my presence!" Deimos shouted. Rumple laughed again and then turned serious in a flash, raising his hand. Deimos was now clutching his throat, as the Dark One slithered toward him.  
"Even when you were a God, you were no match for my power, son of Ares," he hissed.  
"I saw you coming long ago...because I am a seer and I make it my business to know these things," he growled, as he released the idiotic life form before him and batted him away in disgust. 

"Then...it's true. You are not a God, but an immortal," Deimos rasped, as he gasped for air.   
"Yes and I'm very busy so let's get this over with," Rumple stated.  
"I need my immortality back," Deimos pleaded.  
"Well, now that is the problem, isn't it? The only way to be an immortal is to be a God...or be the Dark One. So let's play a game," Rumple offered, as he presented his dagger.  
"If you can steal the dagger from me and kill me with it...then you'll become the Dark One," he challenged. Deimos smirked arrogantly.  
"I've killed many a greater than you, imp," he growled, making Rumple laugh again.  
"You're quite an amusing speck," Rumple said, as Deimos lunged at him. He sidestepped the charging imbecile and wasn't surprised when he grabbed a knife from the table. Rumple caught the blade with his bare hand and yawned in boredom.   
"I really hope this isn't your best, dearie," he said. Deimos roared angrily, as he pounded his fist into the Dark One's face. But the imp was unfazed and grabbed the former God by the throat.   
"You lose, dearie. You can't even scratch me...let alone kill me. Now get out, before I send you back to your beloved Hades as a permanent resident," he hissed.  
"No...Hades demanded that you help me! He said you owe him a favor!" Deimos choked out. That made Rumple pause. He remembered the exact favor that he owed Hades. His second child, though Rumple doubted he'd ever have another. But...to not be indebted to Hades was an extremely tempting offer. He released the pompous former deity and marched to his potions cabinet.   
"There is only one other form of immortality possible," Rumple stated.   
"Then you will give it to me," Deimos demanded.  
"I will do this to absolve me of my favor to Hades, but should you ever cross me again, Deimos, I will grind you into an unrecognizable bloody pulp," Rumple threatened, but Deimos only smirked.  
"Believe me, after this, I have no desire to ever see your impish face again," he retorted.  
"My threat carries if you ever interfere with any of my carefully orchestrated plans as well," he warned, as he retrieved an ornate box. He hated parting with this, but it would be worth it to no longer be indebted to Hades. 

"What is this?" Deimos asked.  
"The only other way for you to become an immortal other than being a God or the Dark One is to become a vampire," Rumple stated.   
"But Zeus eradicated them, centuries ago. He has forbade the creation of more," Deimos countered.  
"Thank you for the history lesson and this will not make you a vampire of old like in past. This is the very last ambrosia leaves in existence. Once you consume them, they will grant you immortality...for a time," Rumple stated.  
"For a time? I need a permanent solution!" he cried.  
"And that is where the vampire-like quality comes into play. Once a month, every full moon, you must ingest the blood of a mortal to maintain the effects of the ambrosia. Do this and you will be immortal forever," Rumple instructed. Deimos smirked.  
"Drink some worthless mortal dry...sounds like fun," he said darkly, as he reached for the leaves. But Rumple pulled back momentarily.  
"What are you doing?" he demanded to know.  
"I must also warn you that the effects of ambrosia are unpredictable. There is a reason the Gods didn't let just anyone consume it. The effects on your mind could be devastating," Rumple warned. Deimos snorted derisively.   
"Just give me the leaves," he growled.  
"People that have consumed ambrosia have gone insane or become psychotic, depraved individuals that usually end up causing their own doom," he warned. But the former God ignored him and chewed the leaves, before swallowing them. He smirked victoriously, as he felt power surging in his veins again and his immortal glow return.   
"Yes...it worked," he growled. But then, he was suddenly holding his head in agony and screamed, as he doubled over. Rumple watched, unfazed, as the former God's eyes glowed and then went completely black. His incisors grew slightly into fangs, which he would need to pierce mortal flesh, and his mind was twisted even more so than it already was.   
Rumple was instantly concerned. He cared not for any, but a crazed, bloodthirsty vampire-like being running a muck in the Kingdom would eventually come to interfere with his plans. Fortunately, he would be ready to provide ways to end this creature he was forced to create. 

"Our deal is done. Now get out," Rumple spat. Deimos smirked, his eyes had returned to normal, but were filled with a startling amount of malice.   
"Gladly. I have villages to terrorize," he hissed, as he disappeared in a streak, utilizing his new speed.  
"Oops...I forgot to mention that one day a year, on the eve of the blood moon, your immortality is nullified and you can be killed. Hmm...I hope that won't be a problem," Rumple mused, as he let out a high pitched giggle.

~*~

Emma sighed, as she finished the last report and set it on the file.  
"Are you aware that your filing system is from 1983?" she joked, as Graham returned from patrol.  
"Digital hasn't quite made its way to Storybrooke yet," he mentioned, as he eyed her with a smirk.  
"What?" she asked.  
"It's all over town, you know. You cutting down the Mayor's prized apple tree," he replied.  
"Oh that," Emma shrugged nonchalantly.  
"You've got guts. I'm surprised she didn't order me to fire you on the spot," he mentioned.  
"And if she does?" Emma asked. He shrugged.  
"It's tricky since there's nary a witness. It falls into the gray area of she said, she said," he replied. She smirked and put her jacket on.  
"Guess that means I'm on night patrol," she said.  
"You are, but things are pretty quiet. Regina's in a meeting and I have it on good authority that Henry will be heading for his castle when he gets off the bus," Graham replied. Emma smiled.  
"Thanks," she said, as she hurried out.

~*~

To say that Regina was having a bad day would have been an understatement. She was still seething from the blonde miscreant that had chopped down her beloved tree yesterday. Then David Nolan, who had more backbone than she liked, defied her. Henry was pulling away more too, but the worst part was she found out at the hospital that a certain patient was missing from her cell. And worst of all, someone knew enough to cut the security cameras, as everything in that hallway that wing went dark after midnight. So as she marched into Gold's shop, she wasn't surprised to see him smile smugly at her from behind the counter.  
"Mayor Mills, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit to my humble shop?" Gold asked.  
"There's nothing humble about you, Gold. Cut the crap. Where is she?" Regina demanded to know.  
"Her? I'm afraid I don't follow," he replied, playing dumb.  
"Yes you do. There is a certain patient missing from the psych ward at the hospital," Regina snapped.  
"Yet you're here instead of the police station. You should ask Miss Swan, you know. I hear she is quite good at finding people," Gold informed.  
Regina slammed her fist on the counter.  
"Stop playing games with me!" she hissed. He gave her a scrutinizing gaze.

"You're the one playing games, Madam Mayor and a dangerous one at that. This town is yours now...but we both know that I'm the reason why. I gave you all this," he said, gesturing grandly with his hand.  
"And I can take it all away," he growled.  
"You did help Charming, didn't you?" she growled back.  
"You mean did I free him from the trappings of a loveless marriage to the simpering Kathryn Nolan?" he asked shrugging.  
"It seemed like the right thing to do," he added.  
"Why...you never do anything without reason," she said suspiciously.  
"Let's just say...I'm a fan of true love or rather what it creates. Besides, I knew how much it would infuriate you, dearie," he mused.  
"This isn't over...crossing me is unwise too. This is still my town, Mr. Gold," she retorted.  
"For now," he said, as she turned and stormed toward the door.  
"One more thing, Your Majesty," he called, as she glowered at him. Any doubt she had about whether he was awake was gone now.  
"If you or anyone else touch her again, I will make you pay," Gold promised. Regina clenched her teeth and stormed out without another word.  
"That was her, wasn't it?" a female voice called, as she peered in from the back room.  
"The woman that locked me up?" Belle asked.  
"Yes, but you need not fear her or hide from her. I won't let her hurt you again," he promised, as she came out.  
"I wish I could remember," Belle fretted.  
"You will...I promise," he said, as he took her hand and she smiled gently at him.  
"It's almost evening. How would you like to accompany me to Granny's for supper?" he asked gently. She cocked her head to the side.  
"I...I think that would be nice," Belle answered.

~*~

The drive to Jefferson's was short and the other man showed him to the guest room upstairs.  
"Thanks again...for letting me stay here," David said.  
"It'll be nice to not have an empty house for once," Jefferson replied. And David realized that Regina had cursed him to be alone, much like she had with Snow.  
"Gold had some clothes and essentials sent over for you too," Jefferson mentioned.  
"I'll stop by and thank him. Did he say how Belle was doing?" David asked curiously.  
"He didn't divulge anything, but that's not unusual for him. She's helping around the shop though and there's a sparkle in his eye that I didn't know was possible for him," Jefferson replied.  
"Good. Regina will hate that. Just like she'll hate it when I have dinner with Mary Margaret," he said. Jefferson smirked.  
"Not wasting any time, I see?" he commented.  
"It's been twenty-eight years. Why wait?" he countered, as he looked through the clothes. He liked the leather jacket instantly and picked out of a red button down shirt to go with the pants he was told were called jeans. He found the shower to be a fascinating thing when the nurse showed it to him at the hospital. Not only was it easier and quicker to get clean than how they used to bathe back home, but it was also therapeutic. After a shower, he dressed and started out for the evening.  
"Be careful. Regina will eventually retaliate," Jefferson warned.  
"Probably. But she's not keeping me from Snow any longer," he responded.  
"Okay...well, good luck tonight. Not that you need it," Jefferson called, as he left the house and followed the directions Jefferson had given him to Mary's apartment building.

~*~

"Hey kid," Emma called. Henry smiled and closed his book, before hopping down and hugging her.  
"So...how goes Operation Cobra?" Henry asked. She smirked coyly.  
"Can you keep a secret?" she asked. He cocked his head, giving her a deadpanned look.  
"Seriously?" he asked. She chuckled.  
"My Dad isn't just awake as in no more coma. He's awake," she stressed. Henry looked confused for a minute and then his brown eyes widened.  
"You mean…" he gasped. She nodded.  
"He knows exactly who he is," she assured.  
"Then...I was right! I mean, I knew you believed me, but this is the first real evidence! It's all true!" Henry exclaimed.  
"It is, kid. And I may be the Savior, but when this curse is broken, it will be because of you, just as much as me," she told him.  
"You think?" he asked.  
"I know. I may have been clued in on everything before you, but I was no closer to finding my parents until you found me," she reminded.  
"Wow...yeah, I guess you're right," he realized, as she patted him on the shoulder and hugged him close. Little did they know, Sidney Glass spied them in the distance and used his high resolution camera to snap photos of them together…

~*~

David found Mary's building easily enough and saw her outside by the tree where a birdhouse hung from it. His wife had always loved birds and animals alike. And the feeling was mutual for the birds and animals as well. So it didn't surprise him that she was filling the feeder with food while waiting for him. She looked beautiful as always in a dark purple dress that was knee length and buttoned up the front, complete with a pink cardigan. Unfortunately, he saw her wobble on the ladder and hurried over, hopping over the fence in one leap.  
She cried out in alarm, as she felt herself start to fall and tumbled right into his arms. He caught her and held her bridal style for several moments, as they simply stared into each other's eyes.  
"I'm so clumsy," she muttered in embarrassment.  
"Good thing I was here, I guess," he replied with a smile. She hummed in agreement, as he gently set her on her feet.  
"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded and their hands touched. She looked up at him in surprise. She wasn't sure why she had done that. For a split second, her unconscious reaction had been to reach to had his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. He seemed to feel the same, as he gently took her hand in his own. She smiled, as she laced her fingers with his and they set off on foot for the diner. What they both missed though was Regina watching them with daggers in her eyes from her car from across the street.

~*~

"Order up!" Granny called, as the cook put two plates in the window. But Ruby made no motion from her spot, which was currently bent over the counter, flirting with Dr. Whale. She glowered at her granddaughter. Honestly, she loved the girl, but she swore she'd be the death of her.  
"Order up," she snapped again. Ruby huffed and finally pulled herself away from the sleazy doctor to deliver the orders to Marco and Archie. The bell chimed and the chatter in the diner quieted momentarily. The patrons gawked at David and Mary Margaret with equal surprise. At him, because he was currently splashed all over the Storybrooke Mirror as the patient that miraculously woke up after years in a coma. And at Mary Margaret, because it was not a normal occurrence to see the sweet, but meek teacher in the company of anyone. He saw how uncomfortable Mary Margaret was at their scrutiny and all the doubts Regina had planted in her these last twenty-eight years bubble to the surface, as she looked down. The haunted shadows in her eyes broke his heart and he felt his protectiveness for her flare inside him fiercely. In a clear statement, he gently put an arm around her shoulders. She blinked and looked up at him in surprise. He gave her a half smile in reassurance and she returned it, as he led her to a table. The patrons mostly went back to minding their own business, as Ruby came over. She sat on the edge of the table facing him with her back to Mary.

"Hi...I'm Ruby," she purred. He was taken aback by Red's behavior. He knew they had all been cursed to be this way. But Red and Snow had been best friends; almost sisters. And he developed a brother-sister like relationship with her, but he supposed he should have expected it. Regina had taken everything from her. She took him, their daughter, and all their dear friends away. None of them paid Mary any mind and almost looked at her like she had something they might catch. He attributed that to Regina's frequent horrific public tirade's against her that he had heard about.  
"I think Mary and I will just start with water," he said, reaching across the table for her hand.  
"Sure," Ruby said, as she looked between them. She looked confused and he figured she wasn't used to someone not reciprocating her advances. Red would be horrified at what the curse had turned her into. He smiled gently at Mary and squeezed her hand.  
"I don't think she's ever had anyone turn down her advances before," Mary mentioned, a little surprised that he wasn't enamored by the waitress. It seemed that everyone she eyed ended up hooking up with her.  
"She's not my type. I have a very specific type," he mentioned, smiling at her. She bit her bottom lip.  
"Really? And what type is that?" she asked, a note of hopefulness in her voice. His grin widened.  
"If you don't that yet, then I have work to do," he replied. She blushed and looked down shyly for a second, before meeting his eyes again.  
"So...what's good?" he asked, as they started to peruse the menu.  
"Uh...well, Granny makes a really good burger. The lasagna's not bad and Emma seems to have a fondness for the grilled cheese and onion rings," Mary mentioned.  
"Emma seem to know what's good," he mentioned back. So in the end, they settled on grilled cheeses with fries and onion rings to share.

~*~

Emma sighed, as she checked the clock. It was almost time for night patrol and she grabbed her keys and gun, as she got ready to leave. Graham had begged her take the night shift this evening and she had agreed. She drove through the neighborhoods and saved Mifflin street for last. Usually when she drove by, she was able to get a glimpse of Henry. He usually waited for her on the nights she was on patrol so he could wave at her. But she frowned, as she noticed his bedroom window was already dark as she got closer. Had Regina put him to bed early for some reason? She wondered this, as she got closer and then gasped at what she saw. It was Graham. He wasn't volunteering at the animal shelter at all. She frowned deeply, as she watched Regina gave him a flirty smile and invite him in, before closing the door. He had lied to her and she felt really stupid now. He had lied to her, made her work the night shift, and was sleeping with Regina of all people...with her son in the house. She drove off, feeling humiliated and drove off toward the loft

~*~

After a wonderful dinner together, David suggested they go for a moonlit walk. They paid the check and got two hot chocolates to go, before setting out hand in hand, ignoring the continued looks they were getting. Emma had given him the general direction of the Toll bridge and they walked leisurely along the sidewalk. Mary had never quite felt anything like this. What few dates she had previously had were awkward and ended with her sad and feeling more alone than ever. But with David, she had never laughed so much or blushed so much either. He was so charming and sincere. He wanted to hear everything about her life, to the point that she felt like she was monopolizing the conversation. Any other man that she had dated had only ever wanted one thing from her and dumped her the moment they didn't get it. Not David though. He was interested in her as a person and that was something very new to her.

"He was just so hopeless...and I couldn't stand that. Life doesn't always have a happy ending, but no one should be hopeless, especially not a little boy. So I gave him the book and seeing him happy and hopeful again is worth any of the grief that Regina gives me," she explained.  
"You're amazing...instilling hope in someone isn't an easy task, but you seem to do that wherever you go," he replied.  
"I don't know about that," she said shyly.  
"Really? You take time out of your day to deliver flowers to the sick and ailing at the hospital. You don't think you give them a sliver hope in an otherwise hopeless situation?" he asked. She shrugged.  
"I don't know, I guess I never really thought about it," she replied.  
"Well, you do. You read to me and just your voice brought me out of a coma," he reminded. She hummed.  
"I'm not sure that's what did it," she replied and then inhaled sharply, as he caressed her cheek.  
"I am. That and you are the only things I've been sure of since I woke up. You are the only thing that feels right in this whole place," he said passionately. Tears filled her eyes.  
"I feel like I'm going to wake up and find that none of this is real. This...you have to be too good to be true," she lamented.  
"I promise you it's not a dream and I think I can prove it," he said. Her breath hitched, as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Mary felt her entire body practically go limp against him, as he kissed her passionately. No...she had never felt like this before. This was something incredible, something that didn't happen to wallflowers like her. But it was happening and she felt his kiss wash away her fears and insecurities. When their lips finally parted, they smiled gently at each other.  
"You're a man of your word, David Nolan," she said. He grinned.  
"Then allow me the pleasure of walking you home, Mary Margaret Blanchard," he replied. She nodded and hooked her hand on his elbow this time, leaning her head gently against his arm.

They seemed to get to her door on the third floor far too quickly and shared another kiss.  
"Will you have dinner with me again tomorrow night?" he asked. She nodded  
"Yes...but I'd really like to cook for you instead of going out. Here at seven?" she asked. He grinned.  
"Away from the prying eyes of Storybrooke? It's a date," he replied, as he leaned in and kissed her again.  
"Goodnight Mare," he called, using the nickname Emma had coined for her.  
"Goodnight David," she called back, as she went inside.

~*~

Emma angrily fumbled with her keys and slammed to door once she was in, before throwing her stuff down. She huffed and dug in the fridge for a beer, as she heard humming coming from the bathroom. Mary was home from her date and from the sounds of her humming, it at least seemed like she had a good night. She recognized the tune from something her mother had hummed to her as a child in the dreamscape and had always found it comforting. It didn't have any words that Snow knew of, but she had secretly always thought of it as her parent's theme song of sorts. That made her smile and realize that her mother was starting to shine through little by little.  
"Oh Emma...I didn't hear you come in," Mary said, as she came out of the bathroom in a robe.  
"Clearly...you seem like you had a good night," she teased. Mary blushed and bit her bottom lip.  
"It was wonderful...I'm still wondering if I'm going to wake up and find out it was all a dream," she gushed. Emma smiled.  
"I'm happy for you," the blonde replied.  
"Thanks...but your night obviously didn't go well at all," Mary said, as she fished a carton of ice cream out of the freezer.  
"Rocky road?" she asked.  
"You said it was your favorite so I picked some up," she replied. Mary handed her the carton and got a couple of spoons out.

"So...what happened?" she asked, as they started eating.  
"Graham asked me to work tonight so he could volunteer at the animal shelter tonight. But then I was on patrol and saw him going into Regina's house. And believe me, he wasn't there on police business," Emma grumbled.  
"Oh...oh Emma, I'm so sorry," Mary replied.  
"Yeah...and it's not just that I thought there might be something there, but that he lied to me. Oh, and the fact that he's screwing the Mayor with my son in the house. Pretty sure that's what pisses me off the most," Emma growled. Mary reached over and squeezed her hand.  
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked. Emma smiled at her.  
"You are. I don't usually have anyone to talk to, so thanks," she replied. Mary nodded with a smile.  
"So...your date with David was good?" Emma asked, enjoying her blush.  
"Yeah...it was perfect. We had dinner and talked and laughed. Then we went on a walk and I've...just never had anyone make me feel special like he did. He wanted to listen to me talk. It doesn't sound like much...but when you feel invisible like I have all my life, it meant everything," Mary confessed and Emma squeezed her hand.  
"And of course, I'm guessing there was a kiss or two," Emma added and Mary blushed.  
"How did you know?" she asked. Emma grinned.  
"You're a very interesting shade of red," the blonde teased.  
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" the teacher asked.  
"I am...but I'm thrilled for you. You deserve to be happy," Emma said.  
"So do you, Emma," Mary replied. She smiled thinly and nodded. Maybe when the curse was broken, she'd find true happiness when her parents had their memories and she got her son back from Regina. Until then, she would enjoy being a friend to Mary, as she found her way back to being Snow White.


	7. Wildest Dreams

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 7: Wildest Dreams

The Dreamscape…

Emma must have been up late again, the night shift most likely, leaving Snow and Charming to their own devices again.  
"Mmm…" Snow moaned into her husband's kiss, as he pressed her up against a wall.  
"Charming...do you think we're together now that you're awake?" she asked idly, as he kissed his way down her neck.  
"Mmm...I hope so. If we're not though, we soon will be. I have faith," he answered, as he looked up her, before resuming his exploration of her mouth and lifted her from the wall. He walked them to the bed, as they kissed passionately and she hooked her legs around his waist. Snow's hair fanned out on the pillow, as he lowered her to the bed and she welcomed his weight atop her.  
"This nightgown needs to go," he mentioned, as he kissed the tops of her breasts that tempted him from the low cut collar.  
"Mmm…" she moaned in agreement, as her hands slid under his tunic to palm the hard, carved muscles of his chest and torso. She lifted to help him slide the lacy white nightgown down her body and he was pleasantly surprised to find her to be wearing no underwear.  
"No undergarments?" he teased. She gave him a naughty smirk.  
"Is there a point to such?" she teased back. He smirked and raised up to his knees, allowing to watch with hungry eyes, as he shed his white tunic and undo his leather trousers. She sat up to help him, clawing at the ties and flipped him over, as she straddled his waist. Their lips crashed together again, as she pulled his pants down past his hips. He helped her rid him of the offending garments and then flipped her over again, pinning her beneath his firm, naked body. He caressed her face lovingly and she gasped, feeling him pressing against her.  
"Charming…" she murmured.  
"Yes, my darling?" he asked back.  
"Make love to me," she pleaded. He smiled.  
"That's the plan," he responded. And then they knew nothing but pleasure and ecstasy. 

~*~

Mary Margaret Blanchard gasped, as she was startled awake in her darkened loft. She glanced at the clock, seeing it was only two in the morning. She sighed and fell back to the pillow. Her entire body was trembling, her skin slick with perspiration. And she was...aroused. The vivid dream she was having was a bit fuzzy, but there was no question as to the type of dream she was having. Or who she was having it with. Her cheeks were burning, as she recalled the sensations of the dream. She didn't remember any words, but she remembered him. She was having a sex dream...with David. She put a hand over her face, almost embarrassed at herself. But then she couldn't help the grin that eclipsed her face, because it was a really good sex dream. She giggled and decided she probably needed a cold shower. However, she found herself drifting off again, as if the dream was calling her back.

~*~

The Underworld

Approximately 59 years before the Dark Curse

Persephone's screams echoed in Hades' chambers, as her labor reached the pinnacle. The God of the Underworld waited impatiently. He couldn't dispose of the child; Demeter had made sure her protection spell prevented him from laying a hand on her. But Deimos was another story and he appeared next to him, ready to feed on the newborn's immortal blood and then toss it into the river of lost souls. In the months since Deimos had become a vampire-like being, the influx of new souls to the Underworld had pleased Hades immensely. Vampires were difficult to stop. It was why Zeus forbade their creation when the Gods eradicated them centuries ago. But Deimos was not so easily stopped, much to Hades glee. And he never created more vampires, just left death in his wake. His immortality was contingent on his feasting on mortal blood. If he did not, then his immortality would fade, for he was not the typical vampire of old. The Gods had fixed that. They didn't want mortals seeking immortality.

With the grail, that had been an easy solution. Any unworthy of its power had been turned to dust upon touching it. Then when the one worthy of its power finally found it, its power was granted to him. But Merlin, the now wizard that had been deemed worthy of the grail, soon realized the tether his immortality had.  
Love for a woman seeking power of her own led to the creation of the Dark One and the breaking of Excalibur. Many Dark Ones followed the first, Nimue, and that had resulted in an army of mercenaries at one time to do the Dark One's bidding. Vampires had always made the best soldiers. Immortal, nearly unstoppable, and left death in their wake. But mortals had found ways to kill them eventually, much to the delight and impress of the Gods on Mount Olympus.

They had forged weapons of silver, such as stakes, blades, and arrows to take them down. Zeus was so impressed by their ingenuity and war on what he considered the scourge of the Earth that he bestowed the lands with plentiful silver deposits to aide the battle. But man did not quite get the edge on the vampires until it was discovered that another creature, another monster rather, could also kill them. Werewolves, of which only a small coven existed at the time.

Unfortunately, the outcome of that war ended with humans shunning werewolves as well, for one unable to control the transformation slaughtered villages in ignorance.  
At that point, Zeus had stepped in. He ordered Hephaestus to forge his lightning bolts with silver and eradicated all remaining vampires throughout the realms.  
So Deimos'' new immortal state was troublesome to say the least.  
"She'll make a tasty morsel," he commented. Hades smirked, as his wife sobbed while she gave birth. An arrow sailed past the God and was caught by Deimos, who glowered at Athena.

"Really? Do you think a silver arrow can really stop me? I've built an immunity to the poisons of silver," he goaded.  
"I know. One silver arrow can't undo you. That's why I coated the shaft of the arrow in squid ink," Athena stated. Deimos snarled, as he realized he could not move.  
Demeter put her arms around Persephone, as she birthed her daughter. Athena cleaned her off and wrapped her in a blanket Demeter made herself.  
"Oh...aren't you the fairest one there ever was," Demeter said, as tears streamed down her daughter's face and the baby was placed in her arms.  
"She's perfect," Persephone sobbed.  
"She's a halfbreed spawn," Hades countered in disgust.  
"I will see to her destruction when I'm freed," Deimos promised. Persephone sniffed and kissed her baby's head.  
"Mother...you must go. Take her, hide her where they can never find her, like we planned," the Goddess pleaded.  
"That child will not leave the Underworld!" Hades hissed. Persephone ignored him.  
"I love you my little snowdrop, but I have to give you your best chance. And that's not with me. You will be the fairest in all the lands and do wonderful things," Persephone said, as she willed her daughter's name to her mother telepathically.  
"Oh...a perfect name," Demeter mentioned, as she took the baby. And she was gone, as Persephone sobbed uncontrollably, setting off yet another fierce snowstorm, for Persephone's grief had set forth the harshest winter any realm had ever seen.

~*~

Belle awoke in the soft comfort of the bed. It was so different than all the mornings she had awakened in the small, dank cell. She had no idea why she had even been there or how long. Her memory was blank and she knew only what others had told her. The man that had taken her in, Mr. Gold, said the Mayor had locked her up for reasons he hadn't divulged.  
Normally, she would have been hesitant to trust anyone, but the other man, David had insisted she could trust Mr. Gold. Something about the other patient told her that she could take his word. And Mr. Gold had been nothing but kind to her, insisting that someday soon, she would remember everything.  
For now, she was both nervous and anxious this morning, as she cleaned up for the day. Mr. Gold was taking her out for breakfast at her request. They had almost gone to Granny's the night before, but he seemed so nervous about it that she had suggested getting takeout again.  
They were both still nervous about it, but he said he wouldn't deny her desire to rejoin society if that's what she really wanted any longer. Belle may not have remembered exactly who she had been before she was locked up, but she was intent on making new memories.

~*~

That morning, Mary Margaret rushed around the apartment. She fumbled with her clothes, as Emma nursed a cup of coffee. She skidded to the door and grabbed her scarf. Emma watched in amusement, as her mother then ran back to the bathroom to spit the toothpaste in the sink and rinse the brush.  
"Hot date?" Emma teased.  
"Oh...I'm, um, meeting David for coffee this morning at the diner," Mary said, as her cheeks were tinted pink.  
"Clearly," Emma teased. Mary sighed.  
"Am I being stupid?" she asked. Emma realized her error. Her mother's self confidence was still minimal at best right now.  
"No...not at all. You're just...cute," Emma clarified. Mary smiled shyly.  
"Thanks. I guess I'll see you later?" she asked. Emma nodded.  
"Say hi to David for me," she replied. Mary Margaret smiled and hurried out.

~*~

Ruby huffed in annoyance, as she bustled around the diner, delivering morning meals and coffee. She was used to them being busy during meal time rushes, but this seemed different. It was usually manageable, but this morning, the diner was packed. It was like the sleepy little town suddenly woke up.  
"Order up!" Granny called again. Ruby picked it up and delivered it to the table, which gave her pause. Granny must have taken this order, because she certainly would have remembered taking Mr. Gold's order. What was more, she would have certainly remembered taking Mr. Gold's order and his guest. Not only did Mr. Gold almost never frequent the diner, he also never kept the company of anyone. So to see him with a beautiful, young woman was a bit jarring. She set the plates of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon down in front of her customers.  
"Thank you...it looks delicious," Belle said gratefully.  
"It is...I'm sorry, but I don't think I've seen you around here," Ruby replied.  
"Oh...I've been a patient in the hospital for a long time," Belle admitted with a wince.  
"That's awful," Ruby replied.  
"If you're done, Ms. Lucas, we'd like to enjoy our breakfast in peace," Gold said. Ruby rolled her eyes and stalked off.  
"That wasn't very nice," Belle commented. He sighed.  
"People are nosy. Your life is none of their business," he replied.  
"I want to make friends," she said.  
"Just be careful with who. You can't trust everyone," he warned. 

She gave him a long look and then started eating. It was definitely delicious, but she was sure anything would compared to the tasteless oatmeal she was fed for breakfast in the psychiatric ward. As they enjoyed their meal, she looked up and saw a familiar face. David came into the diner with a pixie haired woman and they were positively beaming at each other. Belle didn't remember much, but she knew two people in love when she saw it.  
The other couple found a table and rather than sitting across from each other, they chose instead to sit side by side. Their heads were close, as they whispered to each other, almost forgetting to look up when Ruby came to take their order. Seeing such obvious love gave Belle hope and as she glanced at the man across the table from her, she couldn't help but wonder or perhaps hope that their was love in her own future.

"The woman with Mr. Gold...is that the one you said was locked up in the basement of the hospital?" Mary Margaret asked curiously. He nodded.  
"She doesn't have any memories, but Mr. Gold thought she was dead," he explained.  
"How awful. I can't believe all this time someone was being imprisoned in the hospital," she said.  
"I think there's a lot more going on in this small town than any of us know," he mentioned. She glanced at him and bit her bottom lip.  
"Do you think Regina knew about it?" she whispered.  
"She's the Mayor...I don't think a lot goes on in this town without her knowing," he replied quietly. The Mayor chose that moment to enter the diner with her son and her gaze swept over all of them like a Queen observing her subjects with scrutiny. Her glower on them in particular made Mary Margaret shiver, but she didn't miss the daggers she was shooting Mr. Gold either. She wondered how someone could want to keep two people that wanted to be together apart. One look from her made it clear though. She didn't want her with David and Mary couldn't figure out why she would care. Even more perplexing though is to why Regina might risk crossing someone like Mr. Gold, if for no other reason, than to keep him from someone he loved.  
"I just don't understand what she gets from trying to keep people apart," Mary Margaret mentioned.  
"I think she's unhappy, so she wants everyone else to be unhappy too. But you know, I think that if two people want to be together and are meant to be together...they'll always find each other, no matter what," he told her, looking into her eyes. She smiled and felt like melting under his gaze. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, despite being able to practically feel the fiery rage in Regina's glare upon them. He didn't give a damn. The Queen wasn't going to keep them apart any longer. As their lips parted, they smiled at each other.  
"I suppose I better get to school," Mary said quietly.  
"Yeah...I better get to the animal shelter for my first day," he replied.  
"But tonight…" she said tentatively.  
"Yeah...I'll see you tonight," he replied, as they paid their check and walked toward the door.

"Oh David…" Belle called and they turned back.  
"I just wanted to say thank you, you know, for helping get me out of that place the other night," she said. He smiled.  
"You're welcome...glad to see you're doing well," he said, sharing a curt nod with Gold.  
"I am," she agreed, as she looked shyly at Gold.  
"Oh...this is Mary Margaret, my w...girlfriend," he said, catching himself. He loved the smile that spread across Mary's face at the world girlfriend though.  
"It's lovely to meet you," Mary said.  
"You too Mary," Belle replied, as they walked outside and parted ways for the day with a kiss.

~*~

When Graham entered the station that morning, Emma was noticeably standoffish. Even the bag with the bear claw he had bought for her this morning remained untouched. After two hours of silence and paperwork, he couldn't take it anymore.  
"Okay...what's going on?" Graham asked.  
"No idea what you mean," Emma replied quickly.  
"Yes, you do. You've been giving me the cold shoulder since I got here," he countered.  
"Just not in the mood for small talk," she replied, as she put the finished paperwork in the tray to be filed and the grabbed her jacket.  
"Where are you going?" he asked.  
"Since it's quiet, I'm going to go grab lunch," she replied vaguely.  
"Emma...please, talk to me," Graham pleaded.  
"And say what?" she snapped.  
"At least tell me what I did that has you so pissed off," he snapped back.  
"You want to know what pisses me off? How about you lying to me? How about you sneaking around behind my back? You know, if you wanted the night off so you can go screw the Mayor, then just tell me! Though I'd prefer it if you didn't do it with my son in the house!" she growled. His frustration deflated and was replaced with shame.  
"You know?" he asked quietly.  
"It doesn't matter, like I care," she replied, as she stalked out, leaving the ashamed Sheriff behind.

~*~

Mary nibbled at her sandwich, while grading papers. She smiled fondly, watching her students play outside the window at recess. She took another item out of her paper bag and saw a folded slip of paper fall out. She opened the note and a smile eclipsed her face. David must have slipped it into her bag without her noticing this morning.

"Mary,  
I hope this note finds you well and lets you know that I'm thinking about you. From the moment I awoke from that coma, you're the only thing in my life that's made a lick of sense. I can't wait to see you tonight, for I've thought of nothing but holding you in my arms and kissing you again. Until tonight, my darling Mary,  
David." 

She was pretty sure she was blushing now and his words made her feel like she was floating. Just a few days ago, her existence had been so lonely. But now there was David and Emma...and she felt like she had family for the first time she could remember.  
She was snapped from her trance, when her students started filing back into the classroom. She smiled and tucked the rest of her uneaten lunch away, as they took their seats. She noticed Henry coming toward her with his book tucked under one arm and felt a fondness for him. She knew teachers weren't supposed to play favorites, but she couldn't help it with Henry. She felt a connection to him that she couldn't quite make sense of. He was such a sweet boy, so full of imagination and restored hope now. She had never imagined that could happen when she had given him a simple book of fairy tales.  
"I picked these for you, Miss Blanchard," he said, as he handed her a fistful of snowdrops. Such an action would garner him mocking from his peers, but he didn't seem to care and Mary smiled at him.  
"Thank you Henry, they're lovely. How did you know snowdrops are my favorite?" she asked. He smiled.  
"Just a lucky guess," he replied, as he took his seat. She found a glass and filled it with water for the flowers, before setting them on her desk. And with that, she began her afternoon lesson with a contagious smile on her face.

~*~

Emma found him out back of the shelter, walking a beautiful collie.  
"Hey…" Emma called, as she found him on the wooded trail.  
"Emma…" he said, pleasantly surprise. The dog wagged its tail and eagerly went to Emma, as she knelt down.  
"Hey there," she cooed and David smiled, as she pet him.  
"This is Wilby. He was mine, back in the Enchanted Forest," David mentioned.  
"I didn't know you had a dog," she replied.  
"On the farm, I did. Unfortunately, one particularly hard winter, we had to trade him for food. It was a bad harvest and we had no choice. It nearly killed me, so imagine my surprise when I found him here in the shelter this morning," David said.  
"I'm sorry Dad," she replied.  
"It's okay. It was shortly before George needed me to replace my brother and then I met your mother. Didn't think I'd ever see him again, so I'm going to adopt him," David said.  
"I figure my family will love him as much as I do," he added.  
"We will," she agreed.

"Emma...what's wrong?" he asked. She sighed.  
"Can anyone see us back here?" she asked.  
"No...we can speak freely," he replied.  
"Good, because I think I just need my Dad right now and not a friend," she said, swallowing thickly.  
"Oh Emma…" he said, as he hugged her and cradled her head.  
"You're not alone anymore, princess," he promised.  
"I feel so silly...I'm twenty-eight," she mentioned.  
"Well, I hope you're never too old to need me," he replied.  
"I'm so proud of you, Emma. You are so strong and brave," he told her. She laughed.  
"I don't know about that," she refuted.  
"Well, I do. I heard about you chopping down Regina's tree, you know," he said with a big grin. She chuckled.  
"Yeah...she got me back though," Emma said. He frowned  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
"Nothing...it's kind of weird to talk about with you," she mentioned.  
"Em…" he prompted. She sighed.  
"I saw Graham sneaking out of her house last night," she told him.  
"Oh...oh…," he said, getting what she meant.  
"Yeah," she replied.  
"So...you like Graham," he stated with unease.  
"I told you this was weird," she whined. He chuckled.  
"Yeah, this is the kind of talk I always wanted to leave to your mother. It's not easy for me to think of you with anyone," he said.

"Still...I wonder," he mentioned.  
"What?" she asked.  
"Well...back in our land, the Queen had Graham's heart," he replied.  
"And you think she still has it?" Emma asked.  
"I'm not making light of him hurting you, but it's possible," he replied. Emma was silent in thought for a moment.  
"If she has his heart, where would she keep it?" Emma asked curiously.  
"She used to always have it close. But she also had many other hearts. Snow said there was a vault in her castle. Cora had it built after Regina married Snow's father. It had a wall full of small compartments, most containing beating hearts. Some Cora took and later ones Regina took. Snow said she could never shake the memory of the way that vault sounded," he mentioned. Her mother was so strong and brave. Her father loved to regale those tales to her and had all her life in the dreamscape. And that made it hard to remember all the trauma her mother had experienced in her life. But that reminded her of something else.

"Can you tell me about this Damon guy? Why is he obsessed with Mom? Who was he?" she asked. He sighed.  
"That's a very long story," he began.  
"I've got time," she replied, as they started walking Wilby deeper into the woods.  
"Back in our land, he was Deimos, son of Ares and Aphrodite," David revealed. Emma's eyes widened.  
"He's a God?" she asked in disbelief.  
"He was, the God of Terror to be exact, but according to the story we were told, Zeus punished him after he sided with Hades and tried to unseat Zeus. He immortality was nullified and he was cast from Olympus. In his anger, he sought a way to restore his immortality," David explained.  
"Which is how?" Emma asked.  
"In the only way a mortal can become immortal. He became a vampire...sort of," David replied.  
"Of course he did," Emma deadpanned.  
"Wait...what do you mean sort of? How do you sort of become a vampire?" she asked.  
"It's impossible to become a real one anymore. Long ago, before any of us were born, humans were at war with vampires. There was coven after coven and humans were under siege. They were either being turned into vampires or turned into meals. Humans fought back," David said.  
"With silver stakes and garlic and stuff like that?" Emma asked. David smiled.  
"The garlic is a myth, but the silver is true. Humans started developing silver stakes and silver tipped arrows. It was said one of the greatest warriors, Van Helsing, was gifted his knowledge that silver and fire would kill them by the Gods themselves," David explained.

"So the Gods wanted vampires to be destroyed?" Emma asked. He nodded.  
"They were out of control and posed a threat to all and their quantity started to rival the Gods in numbers. It was discovered that werewolves could also kill them and shaky alliance between them and humans was born," David explained.  
"Did they win?" Emma asked.  
"No...it was just too easy for them to replenish their numbers. They just had to turn more mortals. So Zeus himself decided to eradicate the problem completely," David replied.  
"How did he do that?" Emma asked.  
"He had Hephaestus craft silver lightning bolts for him and struck down every single last one of them," he replied.  
"Then how did this Deimos become one?" she asked.  
"Hades sent him to Rumpelstiltskin. Apparently he owed the God of the Underworld a favor and Hades very much wanted Deimos to be able to continue to be his minion. So the Dark One didn't have much choice and gave Deimos the very last known Ambrosia leaves. He brewed a tea and Deimos drank it," he replied.  
"And what's special about this Ambrosia?" she asked.  
"It can grant immortality when ingested, but there's a catch," he replied. She snorted.  
"Of course there is," she commented.  
"To maintain the effects of the Ambrosia, one must also ingest blood," he stated.  
"So that's why it appeared like he was a vampire," she said. He nodded.  
"He can't make more vampires, but he must drink the blood of a mortal every full moon or lose his immortality," he explained.  
"So...where does Mom factor into all this?" Emma asked, still not understanding. He sighed.

"Well...according to what Rumpelstiltskin told us, the Ambrosia messed with Deimos' mind. There's a reason the Gods don't allow just anyone to eat it. He became even more depraved than before and thus his prey became young, beautiful women. He would make a game out of it. Hunt them...capture them...do things to them I'd rather not speak of to my daughter…" he trailed off.  
"Oh my God...you mean he would…" she started to say. David nodded.  
"Then when he was done and they were broken, he would drink them dry. And his immortality remained intact until the next full moon," he said.  
"So once a month," she said. He nodded.  
"We encountered him after we saved a village from Regina's Black Knights. We think he was planning to make his move on one of the young village girls. But then he saw your mother," he replied, feeling the burning rage of him frightening his wife in such a way.  
"And he decided he wanted her?" she asked.  
"Yes...but there was something different. He became obsessed with Snow and started stalking her. After we captured Rumpelstiltskin, we went to him in the dungeon to question him about why Snow seemed to be different than his other conquests and Stiltskin always seemed like he was holding back something. He only told us the entire story of how Deimos came to be, the story I just told you, and that he wanted Snow to be his," David said, as he clenched his fist.  
"He wouldn't tell us why he had honed in on Snow, only that he only required a sip of blood to restore his immortality each month," he explained.  
"So he never actually had to kill all those girls…" Emma deduced.  
"No...he did it because he's a sadist. But he wanted to...keep your mother," he growled.  
"What happened? How did you kill him or think that you killed him?" she asked.  
"I pleaded with the Dark One to tell me how to defeat him for good. He once told me that he was in love and I used that. I implored him to help me save the woman I loved. That he knew what it was like to feel powerless to protect someone you love and he agreed. He told us that the Ambrosia's effects were null and void one night per year...the night of the Hunter's moon," he explained.  
"Hunter's moon?" she asked.  
"Also known as the Harvest moon or Blood moon. For that one night, his immortal strength was nullified. So, your mother tracked him and we moved in for battle. Us, the dwarves, Red, Lancelot, and Granny. Even without his immortal strength, he was strong and formidable, but in the end, we won. We defeated him in battle and Red, in her wolf form, tore him to shreds and we burned him. How he came back from that...I have no idea," he replied.

"Do you think Gold knows?" she asked.  
"There's not a lot he doesn't know. I was actually going to stop at his shop on my way to your mother's apartment tonight," he replied. She nodded.  
"In the meantime, we need to keep a really close eye on Mom," she said. He nodded.  
"He's mortal here...that's in our favor. But he's still extremely dangerous, Emma. Be careful," he pleaded.  
"I will and I better get back," she said, as she hugged him. He smiled and hugged her back, before kissing her forehead.  
"Soon...we won't need to pretend we barely know each other. We'll finally be a real family," he promised. She smiled.  
"I think we already are, but yeah, it will be nice when we're finally all together. I can't wait," she said.  
"Me either," he agreed.  
"Bye Dad...bye Wilby," she called, as she hurried back toward her car and David went back to the shelter.


	8. Intervention

Mount Olympus

The Temple of Morpheus

Approximately 28 years before the Dark Curse

Demeter looked on, as Athena fed the baby the potion to strip her immortality. It had to be done, for Hades could not find her. They stood in the Temple of Morpheus, as he readied to help them conceal the child.

"Are you certain about this?" Morpheus asked.

"Yes...we must hide her from Hades. She will be well cared for with King Leopold and Queen Eva. They are her only other family. They must think she is theirs though," Demeter said.

"And you are sure about erasing Prince Elijah from the memories of an entire Kingdom is wise?" Morpheus questioned.

"We must. Hades must not suspect and they must not know of her true heritage," Demeter answered. Morpheus sighed.

"Then when the Kingdom awakens, the memory of Prince Elijah will be expunged from all, even his sister Eva. She and her King will remember the birth of this little one to them. None will be the wiser," Morpheus decreed, as his dust swept over the land.

"Goodbye my little Snow White. Your mother and I will always be watching over you," Demeter promised, as the baby disappeared. They watched through Morpheus' crystal pool, as the King and Queen doted on their little princess…

~*~

David was true to his word and headed to Gold's shop with Wilby in tow after work. He had a little time before he needed to be at Mary's and walked into the shop. He wasn't surprised to see Jefferson there, as the three of them agreed to start meeting when necessary to discuss the matters of the curse. Wilby wagged his tail and eagerly greeted the new people.

"Why do you have a dog?" Jefferson asked, as Gold knelt down to actually pet him, much to David's surprise.

"He was mine, back in the Enchanted Forest. So I adopted him," he said. Jefferson's eyes widened.

"Wait...you're bringing this mutt home...as in to my house?" Jefferson asked in disbelief.

"Relax...I'll handle all his care and he'll go to work with me every day. Besides, Emma loves him. And I know Mary and Henry will adore him too," David replied.

"So you saw Emma today?" the Hatter asked.

"Yes...that's part of why I'm here. She asked about Deimos...or Damon I guess as he's known here. I told her the whole story...the story you told us about how he came to be," David said, looking at Gold.

"And you want to know how he survived the siege you and your wife led on the last blood moon before the curse," Gold responded knowingly.

"I saw Red rip him to shreds. We burned his remains," David recalled.

"And someone with the power to revive him brought him back and made sure he was caught up in the curse," Gold replied.

"Do you know who?" he asked.

"I wish I did. Believe me, I don't like when someone inserts unknown factors into my carefully laid plans, but there seems to be much of that going on," the Dark One replied.

"The dreamscape…" David realized. Gold nodded curtly.

"What aren't you telling me? I know you know why Deimos was so obsessed with Snow, but you would never tell us," David said in frustration.

"The time will soon come for you to know, but it will do us no good until your wife remembers her true identity," Gold replied. David sighed.

"Then we need to focus on helping Emma break the curse," the prince decided.

"We're way ahead of where I thought we'd be. Your daughter not only already believes, but she seems just as determined as we are," Jefferson mentioned.

"She is," David confirmed, as his phone rang. Jefferson watched the prince fumble with the device in amusement.

"Just open it and talk," he instructed.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Dad...it's me," Emma said.

"Emma...hey, is everything okay?" he asked.

"With me, it's fine. But I was just at Henry's school and spotted that Damon guy headed inside. I was going to follow him, but I have Henry with me…" she explained.

"No...that's okay. I'll head there now," he said, as he hung up.

"Damon showed up at the school," David told them. Jefferson snorted.

"Yeah, I figured he'd get more brazen now that time is moving again," the Hatter commented.

"Or worse. I wouldn't put it past Regina to encourage him to pursue Mary. Without her memories, she may not be able to fight him off," Gold warned. David turned and hurried toward the door.

"Come on boy," he called to Wilby, who ran after him.

~*~

Mary hummed a tune, something she found herself humming lately that she couldn't place. It was a romantic tune though and she liked it, even if she had no idea where she had heard it. She packed her things up for the day and was prepared to leave, but saw Damon Tromera appear in her doorway. She stopped in her tracks and instinctively backed away toward her desk.

"Ms. Blanchard," he leered.

"Mr. Tromera...what are you doing here?" she asked wearily.

"I've come to take you to dinner. I thought a nice, quiet little meal at my club would be exactly the thing needed to show you that I'm the man you should be with," he said, as he presented her with more blood red roses.

"I...I already have dinner plans," she stammered.

"Yes...with the coma patient," he said dismissively.

"His name is David...and he's my boyfriend," she replied. He chuckled.

"Boyfriend? Why Miss Blanchard, you are moving fast. I didn't think that was possible with as many times as you've turned me down," as he cornered her at her desk.

"Mr. Tromera...please leave. You're making me uncomfortable," Mary pleaded.

"I don't want to leave. In fact, there are many things I want from you and none of them involve me leaving," he said, as he stroked her cheek, making her shudder.

"Please don't touch me," she cried, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Stop telling me no," he growled. She gasped and there was a crash, as her vase with the snow drops shattered on her floor. She moved to start cleaning it up, but he grabbed her arm and she yelped.

"I promise this can be very enjoyable if you'll just stop fighting me, Mary," he leered, as he forced his lips onto hers. She felt the bile rising in her throat the pure disgust, as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. So she did the only thing she knew might make it stop and she bit him. He cried out in pain and pulled back. He wound his hand up and she gasped, realizing he was about to hit her and shied away.

But a hand caught his arm and he was forcibly removed. David slammed him against the wall and he threw his weight into the other man. Mary cried out, as they went rolling to the floor, as the dog that came with David growled at Damon. The darker haired man managed to throw David off and picked up one of the student's chairs, intending to smash it down on the fair haired man.

"Let's see if I can put you back in that coma," Damon hissed.

"Freeze...and put the chair down, Mr. Tromera," Graham ordered, as he appeared in the doorway, with his gun leveled at their tormentor. Damon smirked and put his hands up in surrender. David got to his feet and wiped the blood from his lip, as Mary rushed to him.

"I'll be out by morning," he assured, as Graham hauled him off.

"Oh David…" Mary cried, as she collapsed in his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, as he held her beautiful face in his hands. She nodded.

"I am...thanks to you again," she replied, as she relished being held by him.

"You're trembling...let me get you home," he said. She nodded, as he helped her out and they spotted Damon in the back of the squad car.

"I know how much you want to just go home, Miss Blanchard. But I'm afraid I need you to come down to the station and make a statement," Graham said.

"She's been through hell. Can't you just have Emma come take her statement at home?" David asked, as he watched Mary cling tightly to him.

"I suppose that would be okay. I'll call her and have her come take your statement. You'll make sure she gets home?" Graham asked, though it was clear David wasn't letting go of her any time soon. He nodded.

Mary leaned her head against his arm, as they walked the few short blocks to her apartment. She'd have to go back for her car later, but right now she didn't care. She just wanted to go home and wanted to be with David. She smiled though, as the dog trotted beside them.

"I didn't know you were going to adopt a dog," she mentioned. He smiled.

"Neither did I. Wilby and I...just clicked," he replied, gazing fondly at her. Just clicked...much like she and David had.

"I hope you don't mind if he comes. I probably should have asked," he said.

"I don't mind at all. I love dogs," she replied, as they started up the stairs and she unlocked her apartment. She then remembered all her plans to make him dinner, but after her experience, she didn't know if she had the concentration she needed in the kitchen. He led her inside and they sat down on her couch.

"Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere?" he asked.

"No...I'm fine. But you're not. Those cuts need attention," she said, as she sprung up before he could stop her and returned with the first aide kit.

"They're not too bad," he said.

"Maybe...but you got them protecting me. At least let me treat them," she replied, as she dabbed a cloth against the dried blood on his lip and then smiled.

"What?" he asked.

"I just think Henry might have a point, you know," she said, as she dabbed the cut on his forehead.

"About what?" he asked.

"Well...he insists that, according to his book, you're supposed to be my Prince Charming and I think he certainly got it right. You saved me...I don't want to think about what would have happened if you weren't there," she choked out, as she broke down in tears and he took her in arms. She pulled back a few moments later and started wiping her tears.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he replied.

"And you know what?" he asked.

"Hmm?" she hummed.

"If I'm your Prince Charming, that would make you my Snow White," he said, as he caressed her cheek. She smiled shyly.

"I don't think I'd make a very good Snow White," she said.

"I think you'd be the perfect Snow White," he countered, as Emma chose that moment to burst into the apartment.

"Oh my God…Graham just called me," she cried, as she rushed over and hugged Mary tightly.

"Oh…" Mary said in surprise, but then smiled and melted into Emma's hug.

"I'm okay...thanks to David," she replied. Emma sighed in relief.

"Thank Emma too. I'm guessing you sent Graham to the school?" he asked. His daughter nodded.

"Just a bad gut feeling about that guy," she answered.

"I need to take your statement. Do you feel up to it?" Emma asked. She nodded.

"I'll be okay," she assured.

"While you're taking her statement, I'll go grab us dinner from Granny's and bring it back," he said.

"I was going to cook for you…" she said. He smiled and kissed her.

"It's okay...there will be many more nights for that," he promised, as he got his jacket and Emma met him at the door.

"Dad...I know you're tempted to make a stop at the station, but please don't," she whispered.

"Emma…" he started to say.

"Dad...I know things worked differently back home, but you going and beating the crap out of this guy, no matter how good it would feel...it would just result in him getting released on a technicality. The laws in this world are very different," she pleaded with him. He sighed.

"Okay...I promise. I'm going to Granny's and straight back," he said. She smiled and nodded.

"So...you need to take my statement?" Mary asked, as the door closed.

"Forget that for the moment," Emma replied, as she sat down and pulled Mary into another hug. This time the raven haired beauty held onto the blonde for dear life.

"I swear to you, Mary...if he touches you again…" Emma started to say. She sniffed.

"I don't want you or David doing anything that might take either of you away from me. I'm fine...as long as I have my best friend...and my boyfriend. Then I'm never going to be alone," Mary reasoned. Emma smiled.

"You'll never be alone again," Emma promised.

"Neither will you," Mary said pointedly, knowing that she and Emma were much alike in that respect.

"Of course not. You're my family now...you and David and Henry, even if my son can't live with me," Emma replied.

"You're still his mother," Mary reminded.

"Maybe...but so is Regina, even if she is a colossal bitch," Emma grumbled.

"Yes...Regina is his mother too. But since you came into Henry's life...I've never seen him happier," Mary implored. Emma sighed.

"I don't know," she said uncertainly.

"Trust me...I see him every day. He has hope again and there's only one person responsible for that. You," Mary replied.

"You are too. You gave him that book. That's what started all this," she reminded.

"Maybe...but you made his hope flourish when you came home with him," she said.

~*~

It took every ounce of control he could muster, but David didn't storm to the police station and went straight to Granny's, as promised. He was very surprised to find Henry sitting alone on Granny's outdoor patio, occupied with some device in his hand. He looked around wearily and didn't see Regina anywhere, so he approached, not about to let such an opportunity go to waste.

"Henry…" said, as he approached. The boy looked up and his face lit up in awe, as he put the device down. Wilby ran up to the boy and greeted him with a lick to his face.

"Mr. Nolan…" he said carefully. David smiled and looked around.

"What are you doing here alone?" he asked.

"My Mom said she had an emergency meeting so Granny is supposed to be watching me," Henry replied. David spotted the elderly woman observing from the window. Somehow, she must have deemed him safe to be around the boy, because she walked away to tend to a few tables.

"Guess that means we're alone," he said, as he knelt down.

"Emma said that you have your real memories," Henry mentioned quietly. He smiled.

"I do and I think Mr. Nolan is a little formal, at least when we're alone," he replied. Henry's eyes lit up.

"You mean it's true? I was right?" he asked. He knew Emma had told him such, but to hear it from someone that lived through the events in his book meant everything.

"You were right about everything and I'm so proud of you for believing," he told him. Henry's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're proud of me?" he asked in disbelief. He nodded.

"You brought Emma back to us. When she breaks the curse, you'll be the reason our family is brought back together," he replied and Henry grinned.

"You're very brave," David added and the little boy threw his arms around Charming. The prince chuckled and hugged him back, gently cradling his head.

"Thanks Grandpa," he whispered. Charming chuckled again.

"You're welcome Henry. I know it's hard to be patient, but we will break the curse. I promise," he assured. The little boy nodded and laughed, as Wilby nuzzled him.

"Is he your dog?" Henry asked.

"He is...he's part of our family too," David replied. It was about that time he noticed Regina's car approaching in the distance.

"Oh no, that's my Mom," he said.

"It's okay Henry...it won't be long now," David replied, as Henry threw his arms around him in a quick hug.

"I love you grandpa," he whispered. David smiled.

"I love you too Henry," he whispered back, as they separated before Regina could see. Henry pet the dog, making their interaction seem perfectly innocent and focused on the animal, before the boy hurried to get in her car. About that time, Granny brought their order out that Emma had called in and he paid her, before calling to Wilby. With that, they headed back to Mary Margaret's apartment.

~*~

When David came back, he found his girls cuddled together and waiting for him. Mary ushered him over and he placed the take out bags on the coffee table, as Mary pulled him down, very happy to be sandwiched between two of her three favorite people(Henry being the third, of course).

After playfully squabbling over movie choices, in which Mary insisted none of Emma's slasher flicks and Emma insisted none of Mary's sappy rom-com's, they settled on the classic Back to the Future. Since David was just beginning to learn what a movie even was, he had little opinion, but if watching a movie meant Mary cuddled in his arms, resting her head on his chest, then he knew it would become a favorite past time.

When the movie was over, Emma knew she needed to go to bed since she had to be up for the early shift. She noticed Mary and David were both asleep and allowed herself a smile. Quietly, she turned off the television and gently managed to prod her father to lay down. Instinctively, he draped his arm around her mother's waist, as Mary rested on his chest. She'd seen this picture before in the dreamscape. It never mattered that they had a king sized bed, for her parents were always cuddled together in each other's arms. She covered them with one of Mary's large blankets and then slipped quietly upstairs to bed.

~*~

The years passed and Persephone watched her daughter thrive in her private chamber, the one place in the Underworld that Hades was not allowed.

She watched her daughter lose her mother, Queen Eva, at such a young age and grieve from the terrible loss. This woman, Cora, that had caused it made Persephone livid, especially when she sought further to manipulate her precious one and even her own daughter.

Persephone's heart shattered, as she watched her little Snow be hunted by a vengeful Queen of Cora's own making. The woodland creatures were fiercely protective of her daughter, for they instinctively knew exactly who she was.

Persephone agonized at her daughter's predicament. This was not how it was supposed to be. While Snow was still cherished by her people, they could only do so much against a Queen with power like Regina.

But it was on a day when she thought all might be lost that she found hope for her beloved daughter.

When she was locked in the woodcutter's mobile dungeon, she was prepared to intervene. She knew it would alert Hades to her daughter's identity, but she wasn't going to let her daughter be turned over to the Queen, never mind have her be subjected to whatever horrors this man had in mind for her on the journey to the Queen's castle. She knew men like him. She was married to one, after all.

But then, she was saved by a young shepherd. Handsome and noble as any mortal she had ever seen. But that's not what gave her hope. It was the tiny spark created between them and the sapling that grew as a result. A spark of first true love was a rarity indeed, as was true love that could create such life and magic with a simple touch.

The shepherd parted ways from her daughter then, but Persephone, being a goddess, could see the ties of destiny between them. Her daughter had found true love without even knowing it.

~*~

Present Day

Persephone stared into her viewing pond in her private chambers in the Underworld. enamored with what she saw. It had been twenty-eight years since she'd been allowed to gaze upon her daughter. She reached out, longing to caress her beautiful daughter's face. Somehow, she could now see Storybrooke. The Land Without Magic had long been off limits to the Gods, as belief in that land had dwindled them to the status of silly myths. Without magic in the place where her daughter was, her pool had remained blank all these years.

But something had changed now and she knew it had to be her granddaughter, the Savior; a product of true love. A lover truer than any Persephone had ever seen in her considerable years.

At last, she had found her way to the place the curse had taken everyone, a little town called Storybrooke that the Land Without Magic was unaware even existed. The curse had yet to be broken, but would soon, she was certain. That didn't lessen her anxiousness though, but she took heart, as she watched her great grandson give her daughter a fistful of snow bells.

What happened later, after Snow dismissed her students, sent Persephone into a panic.

It was Deimos...though he had a different identity in this world, his sickening obsession with her daughter had not gone away.

"Mother!" she cried. It upset Hades when Demeter trespassed into the Underworld, but her daughter was worth his wrath.

Demeter appeared and hugged her daughter close, as they were forced to watch Deimos raise his hand to Snow. Persephone cried out, but thankfully his strike never came, as Charming appeared to fight him off. But Persephone was now beside herself.

"Mother...I know it breaks every single rule, but I must go there. I will not stand idly by any longer while my daughter and her family are tormented by that monster, not to mention the Queen!" Persephone ranted. Demeter put her hands on her hysterical daughter's shoulders.

"I know...I may have a way," Demeter revealed.

"You do?" she asked.

"Yes, but you must understand that there is no magic in this place. Even if there is, it does not work the same as it does in this land," Demeter reminded.

"I know mother...but my daughter needs me. She has needed me for years now and I have not been allowed to step in, because Hades and Zeus and their blasted rules!" Persephone ranted.

"I know, my sweet girl. But you must be prepared. In anger, Zeus may ban your return to Olympus," she warned.

"I don't care. My place is with Snow and her family anyhow. Zeus and Hades are not going to control me any longer," she refuted Demeter allowed herself a small smile.

Demeter took her daughter's hand and they disappeared. By the time Hades realized she was gone, Persephone would be in the Land Without Magic, permanently out of his reach. Demeter allowed herself a smug smile at that. She could wait to see the blue haired twit throw a temper tantrum.

They appeared on a beach of pearly white sands where Snow and Charming's former home stood majestically in the distance, despite the damage done to it by the curse. Demeter picked up a conch shell and blew in it. A few seconds later, a red haired mermaid appeared

"Hello Ariel," Demeter said. The mermaid must have recognized exactly who she was and bowed her head graciously, but did not speak.

"Oh of course...I almost forgot what she did to you," Demeter said, as he waved her hand and returned the mermaid's voice.

"Goddess…" Ariel said respectfully.

"It's okay...I have a favor to ask of you," Demeter replied.

"Anything," Ariel said. Demeter waved her hand and a map appeared in the sand.

"It is quite far, but I need you to take my daughter to this place. I know for a fact that your Prince Eric is there as well," Demeter said.

"Eric is there?" Ariel asked.

"As is my daughter Snow...she needs me desperately," Persephone replied.

"You're Snow's mother?" Ariel asked in disbelief. The raven haired goddess nodded.

"I have not forgotten how you once saved my little Snow. My mother's gift to you was your voice back, but mine will be this so you may reunite with your prince," Persephone said, as a bracelet appeared in her hand.

"Is this…" Ariel uttered and she nodded.

"Yes...you can choose to have legs whenever you want," Persephone said.

"I'm happy to help, especially for Snow," she replied eagerly. Demeter nodded and hugged her beloved daughter tightly.

"Be safe," Demeter implored.

"I will mother. Goodbye," she said. Demeter waved her hand and put her daughter in an air bubble. And with that, Ariel began the journey to Storybrooke with Persephone in tow.

~*~

The Dreamscape

It took Emma a little bit to fall asleep that night. Her mind was still racing at all that had happened to her mother. She smiled though, as she trekked through the misty surroundings and into the space that was their home in their dreams. Her parents were dancing, as they often loved to do together. There was no music, but her father was singing softly to her mother. Snow stared dreamily up at her husband, as he serenaded her and held her close, while they swayed. Her father had a beautiful voice, as did her mother for that matter. They had sang to her all her life in her dreams and it had always been a source of immense comfort. They sang to her when she was very small and too young to understand why they weren't there when she was awake. Even when she was an angry teen, they had comforted her through song and endured all her hateful words. And they did the same while she was in prison and cried in their arms the whole time she was asleep.

After what had almost happened to them both tonight at Deimos' hands, she felt the need to protect them. But they seemed so carefree, for she knew they weren't yet aware of the events going on in Storybrooke. Perhaps that was better for now. They could still have these moments in their dreams and it was going to be much needed for what was to come.

"Emma..." Snow called, with a bright smile, as she put her hand out. Emma took it and welcome the dual embrace her parents pulled her into.

"Baby...are you okay?" Snow cooed.

"Yeah...I just love you guys," she said.

"We love you too, princess," Charming replied.

"So...I know you're reluctant to tell us what's going on while we're awake until we can remember both, but you can tell us about our grand baby, right?" Snow gushed. Emma laughed.

"Yeah...that I can do. He's pretty amazing," she replied. Charming smiled.

"Of course he is. He's a Charming," he said. Emma chuckled. Her dad loved his "dad" jokes and as bad as they usually were, they always made her laugh...


	9. Injustice

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 9: Injustice

David stirred early the next morning, just before dawn. No matter what the circumstances, he was always going to be an early riser. He looked down and smiled at the sight of Mary cuddled against him. He dropped a kiss on her raven haired head and she made the sweetest sound, the same sound she always made when he used to kiss her awake in the mornings. She stirred and lifted her head, smiling shyly at him.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning beautiful," he replied, as they got up and gently untangled from each other.

"I guess we fell asleep," she mentioned.

"Yeah...Emma must have covered us with a blanket," he guessed.

"It's early...I think I'll make breakfast," she said, as she kissed him quickly. He smiled and Wilby whined at the door.

"I'm going to take Wilby out and then I'll be back," he called. She smiled and watched him go with a dreamy smile on her face.

While Wilby did his business outside by the tree, David picked up a copy of the Storybrooke Mirror that rested on the stoop. Damon's picture was on the front and it seemed Sidney Glass had wasted no time exploiting the story to make headlines. He clutched the paper, as he read the story. It mentioned Damon's attack on Mary, but almost made it seem like Mary's frequent rebuking had instigated it. The reporter didn't come right out and say it, but he could read between the lines. The reporter was implying Mary was to blame for the whole thing, no doubt at Regina's request. He didn't want Mary reading this trash, but he knew if she didn't see it now, she'd find out later that day and it might be worse. He rolled up the paper and followed Wilby back up the stairs to Mary's apartment. By that time, Emma was up, nursing a cup of coffee and not looking awake yet. He allowed himself a small smile. Emma was not a morning person. Mary was making eggs and he quietly slipped the paper down next to his daughter.

"Let me guess, Glass wrote some biased crap," Emma muttered.

"Yeah...any idea who he might be?" David whispered. Emma turned the paper over and pointed to his picture on the back. David examined the face and knew he looked familiar.

"Any idea?" she asked.

"He looks familiar...I'm just not sure I can place him," he replied.

"I'll ask Henry...he has most of this figured out," she said. He smiled at the mention of his grandson. He couldn't wait to get to know the boy more.

Mary set plates down at the table with eggs and bacon.

"Thanks Mare...smells great," Emma said, as they sat down.

"Is that the morning paper?" she asked.

"Uh...yeah, but you know same old crap," the blonde replied.

"Yeah, nothing interesting," David added. She cocked her head to the side, looking between them both.

"I appreciate you both trying to protect me, but I've lived in this town a long time. Whatever story Sidney Glass spun is sure to put Damon in a better light than me," she said, kind of enjoying their surprised looks.

It was curious, as their mouths both hung open and she found amusing that they both looked almost exactly alike in that moment. She smirked and sat down, as she took the paper and read the article. She started biting her lip about half way through it and then looked up at their expectant faces.

"It's not as bad as I thought. Damon can get away with a lot. He may own a sleazy club, but he's on the City Council and pours a lot of money into this town," she reasoned.

"I don't care who the hell he is. He's not getting away with what he did to you," Emma said.

"She's right...he's in jail and he's not getting out," David agreed. Mary smiled thinly. She loved them both, but she was preparing herself for the reality that Damon would probably be walking free by lunchtime.

~*~

After breakfast, David kissed Mary goodbye for the day, promising to see her after work. He returned to Jefferson's, endured his ribbing about not coming home, while he fed Wilby, and then hurried upstairs for a quick shower.

"So last night…" Jefferson prompted, as David poured some coffee in the travel mug Jefferson had given him.

"It's not what you think. I just fell asleep on her couch," he said.

"Too bad…" Jefferson commented.

"She went through a lot last night. That bastard attacked her and she's convinced he'll be walking free soon," David said angrily.

"I hate it, but she's probably right. The District Attorney will probably decide to drop the case and Regina will back him," Jefferson warned.

"District Attorney?" David asked.

"He's a lawyer and decides what cases to charge and which ones not to. Now in a normal town, there's no question. They'd take this seriously that a teacher was attacked in her own classroom. But this is Storybrooke and it's run by Regina and her cronies," Jefferson tried to explain.

"Is this District Attorney anyone I know?" he asked. Jefferson sighed.

"Here he goes by Albert Spencer," he replied.

"And back in our land?" David asked impatiently. Jefferson stared at him wearily.

"Just tell me," David pleaded.

"King George," Jefferson revealed. David clenched his fists and his blue eyes turned to ice.

"Tell me you're joking," he said.

"Believe me...I wish I was. This is the reality of the curse. Villains have wealth and power here. And heroes...they're miserable and have had what they love most taken away," he said solemnly and David knew the other man was talking about his child.

"This happiness you've brought to Mary...the Queen won't let it stand. She'll make her pay," he warned.

"Like hell...I'll fight her. I don't care about her power. Emma and I will fight her...and Emma, she's the Savior. She'll win," David refuted.

"Believe me...I hope you're right. It's just hard to keep hope in a place like this. At least no one else remembers why they're miserable. That's almost better, I think," he mentioned.

"Regina's not going to win...Emma will," he assured, as he stood at the door.

"I'll see you later," he said, as he headed off to the animal shelter with Wilby in tow. He just hoped Emma would keep him in the loop of what was going on at the station.

~*~

Persephone and Ariel arrived on the deserted shores of Storybrooke, Maine. She gazed at the town both with trepidation and anxiousness. To finally gaze upon her daughter in person, face to face, brought a myriad of emotions for the embattled Goddess. But more so, she wondered how Snow would react once her memories were returned and she learned the truth. She imagined it would take her daughter time to come around to her or perhaps she would understand, being that she herself was forced to give her daughter up. Emma might have reacted much to the same to Snow and Charming, but thankfully since she stepped in and had the dreamscape created for them, Emma was far more prepared to accept her destiny. She would embrace her parents with open arms when their memories were restored and she only hoped for much the same from Snow.

She recalled the days of watching her daughter from afar and her struggles to survive against the Queen's wrath. She remembered practically begging Morpheus to help and the dreamscape had been the result. Being here now brought it all rushing back…

~*~

The years continued to pass and the hardship for Snow did not lessen. But her daughter grew from a typical royal into a fierce warrior, bandit princess of the likes which none had seen. She was extraordinary and Persephone marveled at all of it.

Persephone had the great pleasure and heartache of watching Snow find her true love in the shepherd, now turned prince. She watched them find each other and lose each other constantly in their war to stay alive against Queen Regina and the vengeful King George.

She rejoiced when her daughter's true love awoke her from the sleeping curse and they were married before all. But that's when her joy faded. Queen Regina's declaration that she would cast the Dark Curse, the darkest piece of magic in all the lands, nearly sent Persephone into a panic.

If her daughter was sent to the Land Without Magic, Persephone would not be able to see her anymore or look after her. That's when she implored her Mother to help protect Snow and her family. That had led them back to Morpheus' Temple, just as Queen Regina crushed her own father's heart.

Persephone watched her daughter cry out in pain, as she gave birth to her own daughter. Her own child that would be ripped from her as well.

"Please Morpheus...there must be something you can do!" Persephone pleaded.

"You know I cannot stop the Dark Curse. Not even Zeus can do that," he chided.

"I know...but if they are in the Land Without Magic, my ability to see them will be even more limited! There must be something we can do! There must!" she pleaded. He sighed.

"There is the option of a dream world," Demeter suggested. He looked at her incredulously.

"You want me to create a dreamscape for Snow White and her family? Do you know how many rules that breaks?" he hissed. Demeter rolled her eyes.

"I'll never understand your preoccupation with duty and rules. Hell, Zeus himself has broken every single one of his own rules! You can do this! Emma can know her parents, if only in her dreams," Demeter pleaded.

"This is highly unorthodox," he lamented.

"Emma's life will be hard. Being the Savior doesn't mean she should have to endure all this on her own. If she has Snow and Charming to guide her, think about the positive effect it will have. The Dark Curse must be undone by her. Why not give her every weapon we can!" Demeter reasoned. Morpheus sighed.

"I will grant this, if for no other reason, than the Dark Curse is an abomination and I guess good could use a little extra help this time," he said. Demeter smirked.

"And you like Snow," the goddess mused, as she watched Morpheus' dust sweep over Snow, Charming, and Emma, just before the chaos ensued.

Persephone could only watch, helpless, as Charming put his daughter in the wardrobe, only to be cut down seconds later. She feared for her daughter's true love, but Mother ensured that his lifeline would not be cut on this night. It cut her deeply to watch Snow sob over her beloved, fearing that she had lost him forever and raged as the Evil Queen got what she wanted.

She sunk to her knees as the entire Kingdom disappeared, ripped away to a Land Without Magic to lives where she had no idea if they would be safe.

"It will be all right, darling. Emma is the Savior, she will break the curse. And when the final battle begins, you can finally reveal yourself to Snow," Demeter said.

"How can you be sure?" Persephone asked.

"Athena has foreseen it. Emma may save her parents and her Kingdom. But Snow will save you from Hades' trappings," Demeter assured.

"There may be a complication," Artemis said, as she appeared.

"What is it?" Persephone implored.

"Deimos...he was swept up in the curse," she revealed. Demeter clenched her teeth.

"Hades…" she hissed.

"Oh Gods...then he knows. He's found out who my daughter is! How did he find out?" Persephone cried, as Artemis put a hand on her shoulder.

"How...I do not know. He may have, but Hades cannot interfere anymore in this land than we can. In this place, all but Regina do not know who they are anymore. No doubt that Deimos is still a horrid being, but I have hope that without his memories, Snow will be safe," Artemis assured.

"Safe? She's cursed! She's lost her daughter and her husband! My granddaughter is alone, because Cora was jealous of how beloved my Snow is and molded Regina into her image. If Cora had been able to manage it, she would have taken my daughter's Throne for herself!" Persephone raged.

"If not for Eva telling her secret, she would have done just that," Demeter commented.

Persephone snorted.

"I don't blame Eva one bit. Cora is evil to her very core. I swear...when someone finally sends her to the Underworld, I will make sure it is not pleasant for her," Persephone growled.

"Vengeance is not your way, darling," Demeter soothed.

"Maybe not...but I will see that woman gets what she deserves. She has destroyed her own daughter's life and has tried to destroy my daughter's as well. It will not go unpunished," Persephone stated. And Demeter couldn't disagree. Persephone sighed.

Twenty eight years...that was usually a drop in the bucket for a God. But for Persephone, it would truly be an eternity…

~*~

And it had seemed like an eternity. Not being able to gaze upon her little snowdrop had been soul crushing, particularly during her allotted time in the Underworld. Seeing her daughter, even though her viewing pond, had been her only respite when in Hades clutches. Shortly before the curse, Hades had fallen for a wicked witch from the land of Oz. It had given hope that perhaps Hades would release her from her bindings to him. Unfortunately for her, the witch had ultimately rejected Hades and he had returned even more harsh and cold than before. His indifference changed to interest in her again, much to her chagrin. He had regained a firmer hand on her and demanded she perform her wifely duties. She refused every time, but that did not stop him. He forced her to do what he wanted and took from her what she had never given to him, much like he had in the beginning. To be free of him was liberating. She knew he would be furious, but with no access to the Land Without Magic, she was out of his reach for now.

"This is a strange land. Do you know where we should go?" Ariel asked.

"Fortunately, I have done my research on this land and had enough sense to conjure some useable currency. We'll start by finding an inn and getting a couple of rooms," Persephone said.

~*~

"I can't believe this! You can't let this happen!" Emma screamed, as she followed him into his office and slammed the door shut. Damon Tromera was no doubt smirking smugly in his cell, for he knew he would be free soon.

"It's out of my hands, Emma," Graham said regrettably.

"That's bull! He attacked Mary Margaret! He's stalking her! This is her life we're talking about!" Emma yelled.

"You think I don't know that?" he snapped back and she recoiled slightly. He took a deep breath.

"My hands are tied. The district attorney has dropped the charges and the Mayor has ordered his release," he said.

"You know this is wrong. We have Mary Margaret's statement! And David's!" Emma replied.

"And since David stopped the attack before anything physical happened, it's a case of he said she said," he said regrettably.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Emma exploded.

"I'm sorry Emma, you know I am," he pleaded.

"So...because Damon didn't get the chance to hit her, there's suddenly no case?" she exclaimed.

"Basically. And if I press to charge Damon on assaulting David, then I'll have to arrest David for assault as well since they were both fighting," Graham replied.

"This is crap! What happens if he gets Mary alone again? What if he beats her or God forbid rapes her?! What then? I suppose it will be her fault then too!" Emma screamed.

"Dammit Emma...you know I hate this as much as you do!" he retorted.

"Really? You hate it so much, but not when it comes to sleeping with the enemy, right?!" she blurted out.

"That's not fair," he growled. She glowered at him.

"No...what's not fair is that my mo...best friend," she said, catching herself.

"My best friend has to look over her shoulder every minute of her day, because this town's leadership is so corrupt that they will protect a piece of trash like Damon Tromera over the sweetest person I've ever met!" Emma said, completely losing her temper.

"I've already drawn up a restraining order for Mary," he tried to soothe, but Emma only snorted.

"Oh yeah...cause a restraining order is really going to stop a guy like that," Emma said, as she grabbed her keys.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To the source of all this," she retorted. He sighed and followed her out.

"My, my deputy...such a fiery temper, though I'll admit I find that attractive in a woman," Damon goaded. Emma approached the bars, glaring murderously at him.

"I'm going to say this once, you piece of shit. You stay the hell away from Mary Margaret," she growled. But he only smirked smugly, as she stormed out.

"Well Sheriff...I believe there is no need to keep me in here any longer," Damon said. Graham glared at him.

"The papers haven't arrived yet so you'll stay in there until they do," Graham refuted. But the smug bastard just smirked again. He would be walking free soon enough.

~*~

David went into Gold's pawn shop through the back entrance with Wilby that afternoon. They thought it best for both him and Jefferson to use the concealed entrance, since it was clear that Regina might be watching all of them.

"Hello David," Belle greeted, as she worked on cataloging some of the miscellaneous items they had in the back.

"Belle...it's good to see you," he said, as Wilby went right up to the woman, who grinned.

"Well hello to you too," she said, as she knelt down to pet the dog.

"And Wilby says hello too," David said.

"Oh he's gorgeous. Mr. Gold mentioned you adopted a dog," she said.

"Yeah...Wilby and I just clicked. I see you're staying busy," he mentioned.

"I am and I'll soon be even busier. I haven't told anyone yet, but Mr. Gold gave me the most wonderful gift this morning," she gushed. He smiled.

"Well...don't keep me in suspense," he prompted.

"Well...as you know, I don't really have any memories, but I do know that I love books. When I asked him a couple days ago if the town had a library, he said it had been closed for years," he said sadly.

"I dropped the subject, figuring that maybe the high school would let me check out some books, but they had the sorriest book collection I'd ever seen! I mean, what kind of school doesn't have decent books?" she rattled on. He smiled.

"Probably one where the students never move on and learn anything anyway," he thought silently. He still couldn't figure out how this town was Regina's happy ending, other than her daily goal of making Mary Margaret's life hell. How she could be happy making people miserable was beyond him.

"Well...I'm pretty new at all this stuff too. I have some memories of who I am, but we're kind in the same boat in a way. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to how this world works, but Emma did tell me about this thing called the Internet. She said you can get anything from there. Maybe they have books," he suggested. She smirked.

"Perhaps...but I might not need to, because Mr. Gold gave me these this morning," she said.

"Keys?" he asked.

"To the library! He bought me the library! Can you believe it?" she exclaimed. He chuckled.

"That's quite a gesture. Congratulations...I think you'll make an excellent librarian," he said.

"Thanks. I have a lot of work to do. The place is a dusty mess, but somehow Mr. Gold got Regina to give me a budget and everything, so I'll have to try this Internet thing and order more books," she replied.

"Well...let me know if there's anything I can do to help," he said.

"There might be something," she replied.

"Name it," he said.

"Well, the state of the high school library got me thinking. I bet the elementary school's library is just as pitiful. I was wondering maybe if you'd talk to Mary Margaret. Reading is so important, especially at the age of her students. Do you think she'd be up for bringing them on a field trip to the library when it opens?" Belle asked. He grinned.

"I can't speak for her, but I have a feeling she'll love the idea. I'll tell her about it," he said.

"Thanks David. If you're looking for Mr. Gold, he and Mr. Jefferson are in the front of the shop," she said.

"Thanks. Good luck with the library," he called, as he headed to the front of the shop.

~*~

Emma stormed into Regina's office and slammed the door behind her.

"Miss Swan...I know you have no tact, but at least knock before you barge into my office," Regina snapped. But Emma ignored her.

"Why the hell would you order Damon Tromera's release after what he did?" Emma shouted. Regina gave her a cool stare.

"Because that whole altercation was a simple misunderstanding," Regina replied.

"Misunderstanding? You can't be serious! He attacked Mary Margaret!" Emma exclaimed.

"So she says," Regina retorted.

"He would have done God knows what to her if David hadn't gotten there when he did. And this then trashy article all but implies that Mary Margaret was asking for it!" Emma screamed, as she tossed the paper down on the desk.

"Maybe she was," Regina leered.

"I don't believe you! As a woman, how could you defend a would be rapist?! Does your hatred for Mary Margaret go so deep that you actually wish for something like that to happen to her? To the sweetest person I've ever met?" Emma demanded to know.

"Mary Margaret is anything but sweet and innocent. Don't let her little act fool you. Anything bad that happens to her, I assure you, she deserves it," Regina snapped. Emma looked at her in disbelief.

"How the hell did you get like this?" Emma asked, though she knew the story her parents had told her. Still...it was hard to believe this woman had ever been the kind, gentle woman that her mother described when she first met Regina.

"I'm very busy, Miss Swan, so kindly get out," Regina snapped. Emma glared at her.

"I don't know how yet, but if Damon Tromera comes near Mary Margaret again or David for that matter, I'll find a way to make the charges stick," Emma promised.

"Why do you care about those two idiots so much, Miss Swan?" Regina questioned suspiciously.

"They're my friends," Emma said automatically. But Regina wasn't letting that pass as an answer this time. There was more here and she wanted to know what it was. Fortunately, Sidney was busy digging through Emma Swan's past.

"If you ask me, Miss Blanchard has brought this on herself. For years, she rejected Mr. Tromera and then immediately jumps in bed with a coma patient. No one can blame him for feeling slighted," Regina reasoned.

"I don't care if he's slighted or insulted! He better never try to put his hands on her again!" Emma shot back.

"If you're quite done, Miss Swan. I have a lot of work to do. Get out and while you're at it, stay away from my son. Don't think I don't know about your "secret meetings" at his castle," she snapped. Emma snorted.

"Figures you'd have your lapdog reporter following me," Emma commented.

"He is my son, Miss Swan," Regina snapped.

"You know, the tighter your grip on him, the faster he'll slip through your grasp," Emma warned, as she left without another word. Regina slammed her pen down and picked up the phone.

"What did you find?" she demanded to know.

"I just finished going through everything I could find. I'm not a hacker though. I can't get the sealed records from social services," Sidney reported. Perhaps she needed to employ another avenue with this. She needed those records unsealed.

"Fine...I need to get rid of this woman and those two idiots," she muttered, as she slammed the receiver down.

"I need to know all your secrets, Emma Swan," she hissed, as she felt a shudder in the ground beneath her that seemed to reverberate through the whole town. Emma Swan's secrets would have to wait.

"What the hell was that…" she uttered, as she picked up the phone.

"Sheriff…" Graham answered.

"Did you feel that shudder?" she asked, as another one rumbled through the ground.

"Yes...I'm heading out to check it out now," Graham replied. Regina hung up the phone and gazed pensively out the window. She had lost control so quickly and it made her wonder if she had ever really had control at all. This was Rumpelstiltskin's curse, after all. He had planned this. He had never intended to let her win and was content to let her be made a fool of. She angrily threw a glass and shattered the mirror on the wall.

"This won't stand. I'll make you pay too, Rumpelstiltskin," she growled, as an idea formed in her mind and she smirked evilly. It would have to wait for now, but that would just make it that much sweeter when she enacted her revenge...


	10. That Still Small Voice

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 10: That Still Small Voice

"So...I'm sure you've heard by now?" Jefferson said, as he joined them in behind the counter.

"That that bastard is walking free again?" David growled.

"I warned you. Regina will never let one of her cronies be locked up. Circumventing the law in this stupid town is easy for her," he said.

"There has to be something we can do," Charming said in exasperation.

"Well, aside from killing him, I don't see what other option there is," Rumple said.

"We tried that back in the Enchanted Forest. How did he survive that? I watched him burn," David replied.

"I know of only one way to bring someone back from the dead," Rumple revealed.

"Wait...you always said there wasn't a way. It defies the laws of magic," Jefferson said.

"It does...but if Hades wanted to revive him, he could make it happen," Rumple revealed.

"Why would Hades want to bring Deimos back to life?" David asked.

"Deimos is his most evil nephew and is a very loyal henchman. As you know, he's kept Hades in business and sent many to the Underworld," Rumple replied.

"No...there's more than that," David said.

"And when the curse is broken, the time for you and your wife to know everything will come. For now, he's still Damon Tromera," Rumple stated.

"And he's still obsessed with my wife. He wants to hurt Mary Margaret and I don't care if they do throw me jail, I'll stop him by any means necessary," David said.

"Yeah, I have a feeling it's a good thing the curse happened to give you a license to practice law," Jefferson drawled, looking at Gold.

"I do still own most of this town and will be ready to go head to head with Regina when the time comes," he said. David saw the time on the clock and sighed.

"I'm going to go surprise Mary Margaret at work and try to take her mind off all of this," he said.

"See you later, lover boy. I won't expect to see you home again," Jefferson teased.

"You tease me, but he's the one that just gave Belle the library," David teased back, as he and Wilby left through the back way. Jefferson smirked at him.

"Not a word," he growled.

"The Dark One's got game," Jefferson commented.

"Get out," Gold spat. Jefferson chuckled and made his way to back exit.

~*~

After Regina called him about the shuddering that was rippling through town, he had received several more calls and it was determined by several citizens that the source of the rumblings seemed to be coming from the old mines.

"What's the Emergency?" Emma asked, as she arrived, joining Graham at the mouth of the old mining tunnels.

"I didn't call for you Miss Swan," Regina snapped.

"But I did...she is my deputy," Graham replied, as the curious townspeople gathered around.

"What happened?" Emma asked.

"One of the old mining tunnels had a cave in," Graham explained.

"Yes, I want you to petition this whole area off," Regina said, as she turned to the people.

"These mines are no longer safe. I plan to have them demolished and paved over. Then there will be no more danger," Regina explained. Emma took out her phone and stepped away for a moment, dialing her dad.

"Hey...some of the mining tunnels caved in. Queenie wants to demolish them all and pave over them. Any idea what she might be trying to hide?" she said when he answered.

"It could be anything. The mines were the source of all the diamonds the dwarves used to mine and then the diamonds were ground into fairy dust for the fairy wands. She could have hidden any number of things from our land in there. Losing the mines could be very bad. If Regina ever got her magic back, we'd have no way to combat it other than relying on Gold," David explained. Emma sighed.

"I'm not sure I can stop her," Emma lamented.

"Well, if the mines are anything like the ones back in the Enchanted Forest, they go for miles. It might not be a bad idea for me to go in and see what's in there," David said.

"That sounds way too dangerous, Dad. But I think I might have an idea. You said that you met Belle the other day and that she's a bookworm, right?" Emma asked.

"Yeah...Gold gave her the library. She's going to be opening it up in a few weeks," David replied.

"Do you think you can ask her to read up on the town charter? The mines might be a landmark," Emma said.

"I'll call her, but what exactly does it mean if they're a landmark?" he asked.

"Well, in some towns, especially small towns, sometimes things like old mines or rock formations or other things along those lines are sometimes declared landmarks. If that's the case, a landmark has to be preserved and cannot be destroyed. It's not exactly an official law, but demolishing landmarks is a very unpopular thing to do," Emma explained.

"Okay, I'll call Belle and ask her to look up landmarks in the charter," he said.

"Thanks Dad," she said quietly.

"Anything for you, princess," he said, as they ended the call and she went back to helping Graham partition off the area.

~*~

As Mary Margaret finished up her lesson for the day and dismissed her students, she wasn't too surprised to see that Henry lagged behind.

"Henry...is Emma picking you up today?" she asked.

"Um...Mom told me I'm supposed to take the bus straight home. She's making me go to my appointment with Archie tonight," he muttered.

"Oh...well, the bus is going to leave without you if you don't hurry," Mary urged. Archie was a nice man, but Mary would be lying if she didn't think putting Henry in therapy was unnecessary. So he had a wild imagination. So he thought she was Snow White. It was cute...he was a child. She was positive that Regina saying he was crazy was far more damaging to him than his insistence that fairy tales were real. She didn't dare voice those opinions. Regina had only been too happy in the past to tell Mary that she had no idea what was best for Henry, because she was alone and had no children of her own. Regina loved to point that out as often as possible.

She watched the boy fidget though and started to get the feeling that his reluctance to leave had little to do with Archie.

"Henry...what's really wrong?" she asked.

"I...what if that bad man comes back and tries to hurt you again?" he blurted out. She felt her heart break at his concern.

"Oh honey...I'm going to be fine," she tried to assure him.

"I heard some of the older kids talking and they said Mr. Spencer made Sheriff Graham let him go though. How come he isn't getting punished? He did a really bad thing," Henry said.

"He did...but sometimes things aren't quite that simple. He's...he's a very rich man and though it's a hard lesson to swallow, sometimes when people have money or they are in positions of power, they can use that money or power to make their problems go away," Mary explained.

"But that's wrong," Henry said. She smiled and had to fight the urge to brush his messy brown hair away from his forehead.

"I know sweetie...life's not very fair sometimes though. It doesn't always have a happy ending. That's why I gave you the book, because happy endings start with hope," Mary explained.

"Are you going to have your happy ending with Mr. Nolan?" he asked bluntly and Mary couldn't hide the blush that colored her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip.

"Well...I really hope so. That would be wonderful I think," she admitted.

"You will, Miss Blanchard. He's your Prince Charming, I know it!" Henry insisted. She cocked her head to the side, looking at him affectionately.

"I really hope you're right, Henry. You better scoot though. I don't want you to get in trouble with your mother," she urged.

"Okay," he grumbled, as he gathered his things and she helped him put on his backpack.

"Bye Miss Blanchard," Henry called.

"Goodbye Henry," she called.

Outside the classroom, Persephone had heard the whole heartwarming exchange and she watched her great grandson go with pride in her eyes.

Adapting to this world so far hadn't been too difficult, though it helped that she had educated herself through books for the last twenty-eight years. Athena's temple was full of books from all the realms and she made it a point to know how this world worked.

Before she left, Athena had gifted her with all the necessary items one needed to integrate into this world. A new identity, a career, complete with a college degree. Being the goddess of vegetation afforded all the knowledge and then some to pass easily as a Professor of Botany. Slipping her name into the employee roster as the part time high school botany teacher had almost been too easy. It was perfect. The town wasn't that big, so the school housed kids from K-12 grades, She would be on the other side of the building from her daughter and since there were only so many teenagers in a student body that never moved or got bigger, it meant she would only have two classes a day, leaving the rest of her time free to forge a relationship with her daughter. She took a deep breath and went inside the classroom.

"Excuse me...are you Miss Blanchard?" she asked. Mary looked up to see a beautiful woman with raven colored hair, much like her own, though this woman's hair cascaded down her back in waves. She also had green eyes, behind a pair of smart looking black rimmed glasses that seemed to fit well with her pressed pantsuit.

"I...I am," she said. The woman smiled.

"I'm Stephanie Kore, the new high school botany teacher," she introduced herself.

"Oh...it's nice to meet you. I can't even remember the last time we got a new teacher," Mary said with a smile.

"It's lovely to meet you too. I am going around to the other classrooms to introduce myself. I only have a couple classes a day and so I've been looking for more students to help with the gardens I want to plant on campus. Unfortunately, none of the other teachers seem much interested in devoting precious class time to such," she said. That was a fib. Mary's class was the only one she had been to so far.

"Oh that's too bad...but I'd love to volunteer. Planting a garden sounds like a wonderful experience for my students," she said. Stephanie smiled.

"Wonderful...I'm so glad," she replied, as David peeked his head into the room.

"Oh...I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"Not at all. I need to get back to my classroom. I'll e-mail you and we'll figure out times," she said. Mary smiled.

"Okay, it was nice to meet you Ms. Kore," she said.

"The pleasure was mine, Miss Blanchard," she replied, as she passed David and Wilby.

"Hey…" she greeted, as he closed the distance between them and eagerly welcomed his lips on hers.

"Hi…" he said, as their lips parted.

"This is a wonderful surprise. I didn't think I'd see you until later," she mused. He smiled.

"It was my early day at the shelter so I thought I'd come surprise you," he replied, as he kissed her again.

"Mmm...this is the kind of surprise I could get used to," she said.

"Good...I was hoping that if you're ready to go, then you'd join me on a walk with Wilby. Then maybe...dinner?" he asked. She smiled and grabbed her bag.

"I'd love to," she said, as they joined hands and left with Wilby trotting along in front of them.

~*~

Henry pouted, as Regina drove up to Archie's office. She sighed and turned off the engine. He didn't need to see Archie. He wasn't crazy. Emma not only believed him, but she knew everything about the curse. And David...he had his real memories. He knew Emma said they had to be patient and very careful, but Henry was getting impatient. He just wanted the curse broken and he wanted to be with his real family, especially after Mary Margaret had almost been hurt and nothing was being done. With the curse, the villains would always win and Henry was anxious for the heroes to win.

"I'll pick you up after your appointment. Maybe we can get ice cream," Regina suggested.

"No thanks," he muttered.

"Don't mumble Henry and what's with the attitude? You love ice cream," she responded.

"Not with you," he said sourly, as he got out and started up the stairs to Archie's office. Regina sighed and then drove off.

Ten minutes later, Henry came running down the stairs, in tears, and headed for the old mining tunnels. Archie had told him he was delusional; that there was no proof to the curse. But Henry knew he was wrong. As long as the curse was active, the villains would always win and Henry needed to find something to turn the tides in the heroes' favor. He had to find something to help Emma in the mines…

~*~

Ten minutes earlier

"Henry...how are you?" Archie asked, as he let the boy into his office.

"I'm here," Henry answered, as he dropped his backpack and went to pet Pongo. Archie saw the book that was believed to be the source of Henry's problems poking out of his bag. He was well aware of what the mayor wanted him to do, but he wasn't in the business he was to crush a child's dreams. The Mayor was very clear though. If he didn't do what she wanted, she would ruin him.

"Henry...I think we need to talk about deciphering what's real and what's fiction," Archie said, easing into the conversation.

"You mean where I tell you the stories in my book are real and you tell me they're not?" Henry asked bluntly. Archie allowed himself a small smile. This was truly a bright child and he should have known better by now than to attempt subtly with him.

"Henry...you are a very smart boy and I know that you must understand why we worry about the damage these fantasies may be doing to you," Archie said.

"It's not fantasy if it's the truth! Emma and David believe me!" Henry blurted out, but then suddenly realized his error. He was supposed to say quiet about that, but he had forgotten. He had just been so happy to finally meet, not just David, but his Grandpa Charming. But it was supposed to be a secret; Emma had been very adamant about that. Spending those few moments with Charming and having that interaction had made him all the more determined for the curse to break so they could finally be a real family.

Having that confirmation from Prince Charming himself made everything all the more real. He wasn't crazy. He had been right all along. But now if his mother found out that David had his real memories too soon...or worse found who Emma really was...it could wreck everything.

"David? David Nolan?" Archie asked.

"Um...I saw him at the diner with his dog yesterday," Henry said, trying to think of a way to diffuse this conversation.

"Henry...I don't know why Emma or Mr. Nolan have chosen to indulge you, but it can be very harmful," Archie chided.

"They were just being nice! Which is more than I can say about you and my Mom!" Henry blurted out.

"Henry…" Archie started to say.

"You won't believe me, because you're cursed and it won't let you. But it's real! It's all true!" Henry pleaded.

"Henry…" Archie pleaded back.

"You're Jiminy Cricket and your best friend is Geppetto, but he goes by Marco here!" Henry implored.

"Henry stop!" Archie snapped angrily, watching the boy's eyes widen. He had never raised his voice to anyone, let alone a fragile child like Henry.

"This is all very damaging to you and believe me, I'll be having a discussion with Miss Swan and Mr. Nolan about indulging such delusions," Archie said sternly. The last word slipped out before he could stop it and he quickly saw the damage it did. The look on Henry's face was soul crushing.

"You think I'm crazy too," Henry said sadly.

"Henry…" Archie said, realizing he had done exactly what Regina wanted and crushed him belief...or so he thought.

"Fairy tales aren't real...as much as we would like for them to be," Archie said gently. But Henry stared back.

"They are real...and I'm going to prove it!" Henry announced, as he got up and rushed out of the office.

"Henry! Henry...come back!" he pleaded. He was nearly panicked now. Regina had gotten under his skin so much that he had not only hurt Henry deeply, a child he cared for so very much, but he had done exactly what Regina wanted, as cruel as it was.

He knew he should call her, the boy's legal mother first, but something inside implored him instead to dial the Sheriff's station. He had a feeling Emma was the only one that could make this better.

~*~

Mary walked along the path by the lake with her hand hooked on his elbow and he smiled over at her. It was still surreal to her at times. She had been so alone for so long and then he had quite literally swept off her feet by him. Maybe Henry was right. Maybe he was her Prince Charming. Still...in the back of her mind, she was waiting for something to go wrong. She was waiting for Regina to do something to make sure she ended up alone again.

"Hey...are you okay?" he asked. Mary looked over at him and smiled.

"I'm fine...but if I'm honest, I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop," she admitted. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm happy...so I'm wondering how long it can last," she said sadly. He reached over and caressed her face, causing her to look up at him.

"Mary...I promise I'll never hurt you. I'd rather die than hurt you," he said. She nodded.

"I think I know that...I do know that. I don't think it's you hurting me is what I'm worried about," she replied.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

"Is this about Damon? Because I'm not going to let him touch you again," he promised.

"I know...I think that's part of what worries me. He'll try to hurt you," she fretted.

"Hey, I promise I'll be fine," he tried to assure.

"And Regina...she's not going to let me be happy. I mean...she hates me. I have no idea why, but she hates me," she added. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"The only way Regina can keep us from being unhappy is if we let her," he insisted. She gazed at him uncertainly.

"I'm not saying it will be easy. I'm sure she's going to throw all kinds of things at us, but we don't have to let her win. I know we can overcome anything if we do it together," he said. She smiled.

"Together," she agreed, just as the ground shuddered beneath them.

"What was that?" she wondered, as he held her close and his phone rang.

"Hey Emma," he answered, but his smile quickly fell, as he listened to her explain the situation in a near panicked voice.

"Okay...we'll be right there," he said, as he hung up.

"What's happened?" Mary asked.

"It's Henry...he wandered into the mines," he said gravely. She gasped.

"But they might cave in!" she cried. He grabbed her hand and they started running.

"Come on Wilby...we're going to need you," he called, as Wilby ran alongside them.

~*~

Henry climbed through the mine tunnels with his flashlight.

"There has to be something," he mumbled, as he searched. Suddenly, he heard crunching beneath his foot. He looked down and saw that it was a piece of glass.

"I knew it," Henry said, as he carefully picked up the shard and put it in his backpack. He was about to descent further into the cavern when the ground shuddered violently beneath him and he cried out, as he slid down a slope, the ground caving in around him.

~*~

"Henry!" Emma called into the mine shaft.

"Oh God...Henry's in there?" Archie asked, as he arrived.

"Yes...I've got to go in after him," she said.

"This is my fault," Archie admitted.

"What do you mean?" Emma demanded to know.

"I didn't want to...but Regina pressured me. She wanted me to find a way to make sure Henry stopped with his delusions about fairy tales. But his belief is just so steadfast and I'm afraid I was cross with him. He ran out of my office saying he was going to prove he was right," Archie confessed. Emma looked horrified.

"He's just a kid! I'm pretty sure him believing in something is not nearly as bad as telling him he's delusional!" Emma snapped angrily. That word struck a painful chord in her. How many times had they told Emma she was delusional over the years, before she learned she had to be quiet about her dreams.

"Hey guys...get this. Emma says she sees her parents in her dreams," the boy called in amusement.

"I do see them!" a six-year-old Emma cried back.

"Really? Is that why they left you on the side of the road like trash?" he asked, as the other kids laughed.

"They didn't mean to leave me! They're trapped by a curse, but they love me!" Emma shouted. This only caused all the kids to laugh harder at her.

"Wow...you're more delusional than I thought, Swan,"

"Emma...we got here as soon as we could!" David called, snapping her out of that painful memory. She looked at him and pushed the tears that were threatening to fall back. She didn't have time for this right now. She had to save Henry.

"Henry went into the mines and they're collapsing. I have to go in after him," she said.

"Not alone. Do you have anything that belongs to Henry with you?" he asked.

"He left his scarf behind in my office," Archie offered.

"Perfect," David said, as he took the scarf and put it to Wilby's nose. He barked and took off for the entrance to the mines. They followed and David removed his jacket, handing it off to Mary.

"I'm going with you," Emma insisted. He wanted to protest, because she was his little girl. But he knew it wouldn't do any good, for it was Emma's little boy inside that mine, so he could only nod.

"What the hell is going on here?" Regina shouted, as she arrived with Graham. Emma saw red.

"This is your fault!" Emma snapped, as she got in the Mayor's face.

"What the hell are you talking about? Where is my son?" she snapped.

"He's in the mines, trying to find proof about the curse! And all because you told or probably threatened the doctor to find a way to crush his dreams!" Emma shouted.

"My son needs to learn about the difference between reality and fantasy, Miss Swan and I won't take parenting tips from the likes of you," Regina snapped.

"He's ten! He's supposed to have an imagination! You two telling him he's delusional did more damage than anything ever will!" Emma screamed. David was nearly crushed by the pain on his daughter's face. She had told him what other people thought of her when she let it slip that she could see them in her dreams. This world had been so very unkind to his baby and he hated it.

He hated all of this. He hated that they couldn't be a real family yet. He hated that the woman that had made his wife's life hell was raising their grandson. He hated this curse and it's fake memories that kept everyone under her control. He hated most of all that he was very limited in what he could do about it. Emma was the Savior and he hated that too. He just wanted her to be Emma, their daughter. This world had been nothing but cruel to her and he hated it too.

Regina surprisingly shut her mouth after Emma's short tirade, as she marched to the opening of the shaft. They both started putting on the harnesses Graham had brought and Mary looked on nervously.

"Please be careful," she pleaded. She felt nearly panicked, for she didn't know what she'd do without any of them. The three most important people in her life were about to be down in that unstable mine shaft. If something happened...well, she was somehow positive it would kill her. She'd rather die than lose this little family they had made together. If the mine swallowed them, then she was pretty sure she'd beg it to take her too.

David briefly looked up and squeezed her hand, before pressing his lips to hers in a quick, but passionate kiss, missing the pure murder in Regina's eyes.

"We will. We'll get Henry and we'll come back to you," he promised, as he carefully followed Emma down the mine shaft...


	11. Electric Love

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 11: Electric Love

Henry whimpered, as he tried to dig his foot out of the dirt it was buried in. He was stuck and the shaft shuddered again. He knew what he had done was rash, but he had just been so angry at his Mom and then when Archie turned on him, it wore on his last amount of patience. He wanted the curse to be broken so he could be with his real family. He heard a whine and was shocked to see Wilby burrowing toward him. The dog reached him and licked his face.

"Wilby...you found me," Henry said, as the dog nuzzled him.

"My foot is stuck," he said.

"Henry!" Emma called.

"Emma…" he called back.

"Henry...we're here!" David called.

"My foot is stuck!" he cried, as the ground shook violently again. David stilled Emma and they waited until the shaking stopped, before continuing on.

"Oh Henry…" Emma cried, as they reached him.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to cause trouble. I just want the curse to break! I just want everyone to get their memories back so we can be a family," he cried.

"Shhh...it's okay, kid. We're gonna get you out of here," Emma soothed, as David dug furiously to get Henry's foot loose. David managed to pull his foot free and prodded the boy into his daughter's arms.

"Go...get him out of here," David said.

"Dad…" she started to say.

"Go Emma...I'm right behind you, I promise," he said, as she hurried to the exit, even as the ground became even more unstable.

"I've got him! Lower the rope down!" she called, as Graham tossed it down.

"Come on Wilby...come on boy," he called. She grabbed the rope and tied it around Henry.

"Go!" she called anxiously. At the top, Graham, Marco, and Archie pulled with all their might. They pulled Henry free and Regina opened her arms, but he shrugged away from her.

"Henry…" she pleaded, as she tried to hug him again.

"No...I hate you!" he cried, as he ran to Mary Margaret. The teacher tried not to shiver underneath the Mayor's glare.

"Henry...you shouldn't tell your mother that you hate her," she chided gently.

"But you know how she is and she thinks I'm crazy," he cried. Mary spared a glance at the Mayor and saw a flicker of something in her face, before she quickly covered it.

"Henry...we're leaving," she ordered.

"But Emma and David are still down there!" Henry cried, as he saw Emma's blonde hair peek out and Graham pulled her up. Regina didn't miss the look that passed between them and the way he was looking at her.

"David…" Mary whispered fearfully, as she rushed to them. The ground shook and the opening started to cave in more, as Wilby emerged next. He whined and paced, as the three men pulled furiously, trying to extract David in time.

"David!" Mary cried, as she saw his head. Graham and Emma knelt down and grabbed his arms, pulling him out, just as the entrance caved completely. Wilby nuzzled his face and Mary found herself sinking to her knees beside him, before throwing her arms around him. He chuckled and folded her in his embrace. He was surprised then when she started planting short, repeated kisses on his cheek and then his lips. It was quite bold for Mary Margaret to do such, especially in public, but it was a very Snow thing to do.

Little by little each day, his wife was coming to the surface and the sheer malice in Regina's eyes was startling, but made him feel a bit smug.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," she cried. He cupped her beautiful face.

"I'll try not to," he promised.

"You either…" Mary said, as she stood up and practically tackled Emma with a hug. The blonde looked surprised and then chuckled, as she hugged her back.

"Henry...we're leaving," Regina snapped. The boy dug through his bag and carefully placed the shard of glass in his grandfather's hand.

"I found this," he said, as he hurried off with Regina. David looked down at it and flashed back to that day when he found Snow beneath this very glass. For a few of the worst moments of his life, he believed her to be gone. But like this broken glass, he had broken the curse. Was this symbolic? If the coffin was beneath Storybrooke and was breaking, did it mean something? And what else lay below the town that had become their prison? Carefully, he tucked the glass away. He knew who would know the answers to these questions and he planned to see him about it soon...

~*~

Graham looked up from his paperwork and over at Emma.

"You know, I don't expect you to stay late. This paperwork can probably wait until tomorrow," he mentioned. She shrugged.

"I don't mind and as much as I love Mary and David, it's better if I let them have their time together so they can be all lovey and gooey with each other," she joked. He smirked.

"It's nice seeing her happy...Mary Margaret I mean. She's been alone for as long as I can remember and I could never figure out why," he mentioned.

"Yeah...she's the kindest person I've ever met. But I'm glad she pushed jerks like Whale away and refused to cave to Damon's pressuring. They would have been very bad for her," Emma replied. He smirked.

"Is that your way of saying that David gets your stamp of approval?" he teased. She smirked.

"I'll admit I'm leery of most, but he's the real deal. They belong together, no matter what Regina thinks," Emma replied. He nodded.

"I agree. I never understood her the contempt she has for Mary," he mentioned, as an awkward silence fell between them.

"Emma...can we talk about what happened? I mean what you saw?" he asked. She sighed.

"You mean when I saw you go into her house and it was pretty clear you weren't there on business?" she asked bluntly.

"It's not what you think," he replied. She raised an eyebrow.

"Really? So you're not sleeping with her?" Emma asked. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy curls.

"Okay...that part is what you think. But that's all it is. I feel nothing for her...literally nothing," he pleaded with her to believe him. And she recalled her father telling her that it was extremely likely that Regina still had his heart.

"I don't even know why I go. She calls and I just...drop everything and go," he lamented. Emma saw the look in his eyes and knew what she had to do at that moment. She needed to find his heart and free him.

"Then next time she calls, tell her no," Emma said. He looked at her incredulously. In reality, it sounded like a simple thing to do, but she knew if Regina did have his heart that it wouldn't be that simple. Storybrooke didn't play by the real world's rules. It was up to her. She was the Savior and she needed to free him.

"You're right...I'll just tell her no," he said. She smiled. She only hoped he could.

~*~

She hummed sweetly, as his lips moved passionately over hers. She gasped and felt chill bumps on her skin, as he kissed her throat.

"Oh David…" she uttered, as his lips moved back up to hers. When their lips finally parted and they gasped for air together, she gazed into his sapphire eyes. What she saw there took her breath away. His eyes were filled with so much love it was staggering and almost unbelievable. No one had ever loved her, not since her parents, who both died when she was young. She often found it odd how she could barely remember them, like there was fog in her head when she tried to recall memories of them.

"You and Emma could have died tonight," she mentioned.

"Hey...Emma and I aren't going anywhere," he assured.

"I want to believe that. But...David, I'm not the girl that gets the good guy. I'm the one in the corner, alone and living vicariously through others or characters in a book. I don't get the Prince Charming of the story," she confessed. He pressed his lips to hers again.

"Guess it's a good thing I don't see a girl then. I see a woman that's beautiful and kind; one that I'm very much in love with," he said, taking a leap. He knew it was early, but he didn't think he would scare her away at this point. What they had between them was too strong to be kept back by the curse. Snow was inside Mary and he saw more and more glimpses of her everyday. As he expected, the look on her face was one of shock, like she could hardly believe someone could love her. For that, his loathing of Regina increased ten fold, if that was possible.

"You love me?" she squeaked.

"From the moment I first saw you," he answered. It was true, even if that first moment was something different for them both right now.

"I love you too…" she said. He smiled and pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. She hummed into his kiss and found her fingers sliding into his hair, as their kissing intensified, until their breathing was coming in ragged gasps.

"Do...do you have to go?" she asked breathlessly, as he kissed her neck.

"Not if you don't want me to," he replied.

"I...I don't," she stammered.

"I mean...I don't want you to leave. I...I want to be with you," she said, swallowing thickly.

"I don't want to pressure you into anything you're not ready for," he replied.

"You love me. You want me. No one has ever wanted me or loved me," she said, with a hitch in her voice.

"No one you can remember, my darling," he thought silently. He hated Regina for making his wife believe she had no one.

"I'm want you and I love you. That will never change," he promised. She smiled and they stood up, as she took his hand, leading him over to her bed. She closed the curtain around her bed and then turned to him.

She was already trembling in anticipation and wanted him more than anything she had ever wanted. Her hands shook, as she slid them up his neck and to his face, as he stared down at her with so much passion and love that it took her breath away. Without taking her gaze away from him, she slowly undid the buttons on his shirt and it fell forgotten to the floor. She took a sharp intake of breath, as she gazed upon his shirtless torso with hunger. He was so handsome she didn't think she quite measured up, but he was about to prove her wrong.

Her cardigan fell away next and she held her arms up, allowing him to pull the sleeveless blouse beneath it over her head, tossing it to the floor. He drank her in with a hungry stare and lowered his lips to hers again, kissing her deeply. She gasped, as he pulled her flush against him and their skin made contact. He broke the kiss and rested his hands her on her hips, as he gazed at her.

"You are so beautiful," he rasped, as he pressed their foreheads together. She pressed her lips to his again eagerly, as their lips moved feverishly together.

David kissed at the tops of her breasts and her hands fumbled with his belt. His pants fell to a puddle on the floor and he stepped out of them, parting his lips from hers only long enough to kick them away. She moaned, as she felt the bulge in his underwear pressing against her belly.

"David…" she uttered, as he snapped the clasp on her bra. He was definitely appreciating the simple nature of her undergarments in this realm, though he was proud to boast that he had learned to make quick work of her corsets. Need curled in her and she bit her bottom lip, as she slowly divested him of his underwear. She lay her eyes on his bare form and he captured her lips in a needy kiss. He slipped his hands into her underwear and it slid down her legs, as there was finally nothing but skin between them. Their lips parted briefly and they pressed their foreheads together again, simply staring at each other. She then yelped slightly, as he swept her into his arms and carried to the bed. She looked up at him in awe and he smiled at her.

"I figure if I am your Prince Charming, then I should carry you off like a proper Princess, before I make love to you," he said, they sunk into the bed and then into each other, as passion consumed them.

~*~

Emma and Henry trekked into the cemetery that night.

"Kid...are you sure she's not going to notice you're gone?" Emma asked.

"She thinks I'm in bed and I stuffed it with pillows so even if she looks in, it looks like I'm there," he answered. She chuckled.

"You know, I shouldn't be condoning this kind of thing, right? Sneaking out…" she chided.

"It's for a good cause. It's not like I'm doing something bad. We're trying to save the world here!" he said. She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay so we're trying to save the town...but kind of the world, you know the world where you were born," he said, getting quiet at the end.

"Hey…you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah...I guess," he replied.

"Kid…" she prompted.

"I just...everyone here was born in another land, but I was born here. I'm not in the book," he said sadly.

"Oh kid, you don't really think that makes you less special...do you?" she asked. He shrugged halfheartedly and she stopped to kneel down in front of him.

"Henry...you are special. I may have known about the curse, because of the dreamscape, but when you found me, I was no closer to finding my parents than I was ten years ago when I got out…" she started to say.

"Got out of where?" he asked curiously.

"Uh...the foster system. When I got out on my own. But you found me...like seriously, what ten year old kid braves a big city like Boston to find a woman he doesn't really know?" she said.

"You think I'm brave?" he asked in amazement.

"Incredibly so, but you shouldn't be surprised. It's in your genes," she reminded. He cocked his head to the side and she smiled, as he instantly reminded her of her mother, who often did that very same gesture.

"I think you are so busy with Operation Cobra sometimes that you forget who you are! You're the grandson of Snow White and Prince Charming," she said and he broke into a grin.

"Yeah...I guess I am," Henry said, as he took her hand and they continued on.

It made him pretty curious about who his father might have been, but Henry wasn't sure if this was the time to ask. Emma hadn't offered a word about the man that might have sired him and to him that meant it might be hard for her to talk about. He already knew the past was a touchy subject for her, so he decided to ask her another time, preferably while she was eating onion rings and drinking hot chocolate.

They finally came to a vault and stared at it for a moment.

"So...this is it," Emma said.

"Yeah, told it was creepy," he replied.

"Does she know that you know about this?" she asked. He smirked.

"You mean like she thinks I'm sleeping right now? Course not," he replied.

"So how did you find it?" she asked suspiciously.

"She comes home late on Tuesdays at six instead of five-thirty. I told her I was going to the arcade and instead, I followed her from her office," he explained. She raised an eyebrow.

"She actually believed you were going to the arcade?" she asked.

"She wants to believe it so she does," he commented.

"So you followed her here?" Emma asked, as they went inside.

"Yep...secret crypt in the cemetery only means one thing," he replied. She looked at him with a blank expression and he sighed.

"It's a secret lair of course! She has to have something hidden in here. You really need to read more comic books," he chided. She snorted and shook her head.

"Comic books...yeah, I'll do that," she said sarcastically, as she flashed the light around the room.

"Well kid, I hate to burst your bubble, but it looks like this is just a crypt," she said, noticing the coffin.

"No...there has to be a secret passage or something. These places always have a secret passage," he encouraged. She sighed.

"Kid…" she said, as she looked at the name on the coffin.

"Henry Mills…" she read, as she looked up at him.

"It's her father. She named me after him," he said.

"That's...actually sweet," she replied.

"It might be if she didn't crush his heart to cast the curse," Henry commented.

"And we're back to creepy," Emma muttered, as she flashed the light down. She was about to give up until she saw the drag marks on the ground.

"Okay kid...get on the other side of this and we're going to push," she said. They did so and slowly, they pushed the heavy coffin aside, revealing a set of stairs that led into a room below.

"I was right!" Henry exclaimed.

"Yeah...you were," she said in equal disbelief, as he started down the stairs.

"Hey kid...wait!" she called, as she followed him down into the chamber. She spotted a lantern on the wall and turned it on, revealing a room full of objects that she was positive were not of this world. But that was not the creepiest part, for their ears were suddenly filled with the eerie sounds of multiple beating hearts. Emma turned around and saw that the walls were lined with glowing red squares.

"Holy hell…" Emma uttered.

"Hearts...these all have hearts in them," Henry said, his voice cracking.

"Do you think Graham's is here?" she asked. He looked up at her sadly.

"I...I don't know," he whimpered. She knelt down beside him and pulled him into a hug.

"We'll figure this out, kid. I promise. But we better get you back home, before she knows you're gone," she said, as they headed back up the stairs.

~*~

David's hand slid sensually down the leg that was hooked around his hip, as he thrust into her. He kissed her deeply and then moved his lips to her neck, as he ravished her. Mary cried out in pleasure, as his hand found its way between her legs and to her clit. Though her memories of any previous partners was hazy at best, she was pretty damn sure she'd never had sex this good. And it wasn't just because they were in love, though that made it just that much better. But first times were often clumsy and quick, as both people didn't yet know what each other liked. But somehow, David knew exactly where to touch her to elicit pure ecstasy. He knew how to kiss her, how to caress her, and exactly where all her sensitive spots were. It was incredible. She writhed wildly against his hard body, as he made love to her.

"David...oh Gods David!" she cried, as she neared her climax. He glided in and out, his rhythm feverish, sweat glistening on their bodies. He gripped her hips and she jutted upwards to meet his thrusts, her back arching off the bed, as she got closer and closer. Finally, she cried out and came hard, falling apart in his arms. He held her through it and came seconds later buried deeply inside her.

They panted together, as he rolled beside her and held her closely. She gazed into his eyes and he gazed back.

"I love you...I love you so much," he said passionately.

"Oh David...I love you. You were...that was amazing," she replied. He kissed her forehead and pillowed her against his chest. Mary could scarcely believe this had become her life. Just weeks ago, she was alone and single. The only two males that gave her a second look were Whale, who she knew only wanted one thing, and Damon, who she was sure was dangerous, not to mention probably wanted to hurt her. She went to work everyday and came home to an empty apartment. Then she sank into her dreams, which she could never remember, but somehow she knew were filled with wonderful things like Prince Charming sweeping her off her feet.

Then somehow it had happened. Not only had David walked into her life and swept her into a romance that put any of her novels to shame, but Emma had dropped into her life and she had gained a best friend, whom she loved like a sister. She, Mary Margaret Blanchard, had a family now. And she was terrified someone would take it all away. She kept that fear at bay as much as he could, for David and Emma had awakened something inside her that she was sure was long dead. Something she had tried to awaken in Henry, believing it was long gone for her. Hope...she had hope again for the first time in as long as she could remember...

~*~

Tomorrow was a new day in Storybrooke and she was already glaring at the morning headlines, as she received Sidney's final copy. The townspeople would awake that morning to the headlines in the Storybrooke Mirror detailing the heroics of one Emma Swan and David Nolan and how they valiantly rescued the Mayor's son from the collapsing mine shaft.

"I thought I told you to run that other story about Swan," Regina snapped into her phone.

"I apologize Madam Mayor, but what kind of reporter would I be if I didn't report current events? You know as well as I do that such must take precedence and I hardly thought you'd want that other juicy article to be pushed to page two so I held it back," Sidney explained.

"Fine...but you are running that story in the following day's morning's edition. I want Emma Swan exposed for exactly who she is!" Regina snapped.

"And she will be. Have you thought though at how your son may react to the article? It is, after all, about how he came to be," Sidney warned.

"You worry about your newspaper and I'll worry about my son," Regina snapped, as she slammed the receiver down. Sidney had managed to unseal the criminal record on Emma, but so far the rest of her file previous to her arrest was still caught up in a lot of red tape in social services.

Normally, she'd just go to Gold, as he was really good and cutting through all that. But he wasn't an option anymore. He'd never help her again after she kept his precious Belle away from him; yet another irritant she had to deal with. While the bookworm was still oblivious to her former life with Gold, they were far too close for her comfort. And then there was those two idiots, who were already so in love it made her want to retch.

This would have been so much easier if David was still married to Kathryn. Oh the joy she would have had in outing Mary Margaret for being the little tramp she was. But David wasn't cheating on Kathryn. He was single and free to romance her stepdaughter and she needed to put an end to their bliss. And Belle, with no memories of her own, was being swept off her feet by Rumpelstiltskin.

In hindsight, she should have just gotten rid of Charming in the first place when he was still in a coma. That would have ensured Snow White's eternal misery, but at the time, she found it more amusing to watch her wretched stepdaughter visit him and pine over a comatose man for reasons she couldn't figure out. And she had taken delight in watching Mary Margaret look over her shoulder and tremble in fear every time Damon Tromera's shadow crossed over her. Perhaps she would have to encourage Damon to begin stalking her again. He would only be too happy to get rid of David for her. Yes, she'd deal with those two idiots soon enough, but first she'd enact her plan to rip Belle away from Gold. She just had to stage the right incident that would give her the opportunity to get close to the bookworm. But for tonight, she had another agenda. She had not missed the looks Graham had been shooting in the direction of Emma Swan and that wouldn't do at all. She picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Henry is asleep. I was thinking you could stop by," Regina said.

"Sorry...I don't think that's a good idea," Graham replied. She frowned.

"Why not?" she almost growled.

"Because I'm not in the mood tonight," he replied.

"Well, I am. Get over here," she demanded.

"No…" he refused.

"What did you say?" she asked, as she opened her desk drawer and took a box out.

"I said no, Regina," he replied. Her eyes narrowed and she opened the box.

"Maybe you'd like to reconsider. You should come over now," she said into the heart.

"I...I'll be right there," he stammered. She hung up and closed the box. She was about to put it back in her desk drawer, but his refusal was worrisome. She hadn't had to use his heart to get her way with him in a very long time. Not until...Emma Swan came to town. She fumed and carried the box over to the wall. She pulled the mirror away, revealing a wall safe behind it. Keeping it locked up was probably safest. With all the changes in town, she couldn't be too careful until she found a way to undo all the damage this one woman had done to her curse. But she would fix. This was her happy ending and no one was going to ruin it for her, not those two idiots, not Gold, and especially not Emma Swan...


	12. Captivated

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 12: Captivated

When she awoke the next morning and found herself spooned against him, she was still in awe that it was all real. Mary couldn't recall a morning like this; one where she awakened in the arms of a man. How odd was that? I mean, there had to be other times and other partners, or at least one, for Mary was for sure she wasn't a virgin. But nothing but fuzzy images came to mind. It didn't really matter, for she wanted David to be her only now and forever.

She wondered what was wrong with her that she couldn't remember any previous partners though. Just a fuzzy image and a name. James, she recalled. Yes, that was it. James...tall and blonde, handsome too. She spared another glance at David beside her. Hmm...she supposed she perhaps had a type.

She was sure it was different with David though. They hadn't just slept together. They were in love. They had made love and promised themselves only to each other. And she knew this was real. She, hopelessly single and lonely teacher Mary Margaret Blanchard, had found true love. It was surreal to her.

Last night left her breathless and unhinged in a way she wouldn't have thought possible. The physical part had left her feeling just as incredible as the emotional part. The memory of his hands on her, his lips kissing her all over, him inside her making them both feel like they were finally home made her giddy. Still, she was aware that adversity could come their way. Regina wouldn't let them be happy without at least trying to tear them apart. It worried her, not because she didn't believe in David's love, but Regina seemed to have everyone else under her thumb. But she let her worry slowly ebb away, as she felt his lips moving down her neck. She hummed and turned her head, meeting his captivating blue eyes with her own gaze.

"Good morning beautiful," he purred, as he pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss.

"Good morning yourself, handsome," she purred back, as he pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. That's when they heard Wilby whine at the door and he smiled, as their lips parted.

"I better take Wilby out," he said. She nodded and watched him get up and pull his clothes on.

"Come on boy," he called, as he took him out. Mary sighed and fell back into the soft down with a dreamy stare on her face. She was grateful that today was Saturday and neither of them had anywhere else to be, except for with each other. She got up and put her robe on, before going to the kitchen, intent on making them breakfast.

David picked up the Saturday paper, as Wilby did his business and skimmed the story about their valiant rescue of the Mayor's son.

"Oh...good morning, Mr. Nolan," Archie greeted, as he was walking by with Pongo. The two dogs sniffed at each other when he stopped.

"Good morning Dr. Hopper," he said coolly. He normally wasn't one to hold a grudge and he knew it wasn't really Archie's fault, but it was his words that led his (secret) grandson to go running into the mines.

"I'm glad I ran into you, though I am surprised that it's here," he said awkwardly. David smirked.

"Well, Mary Margaret is my girlfriend," he reminded. The ginger haired man reddened a bit, which David probably enjoyed entirely too much and he cleared his throat.

"Of course. I wanted to thank you for saving Henry. I would have never forgiven myself if something happened to him," Archie lamented.

"Henry is very special to us. There is nothing I wouldn't do for him or Mary and Emma for that matter," David replied. Archie nodded.

"It was still incredibly brave and you're right, Henry is a very special boy. I...I only wish Regina could see that," he mentioned.

"If the Mayor can't recognize what is right in front of her, then there is nothing you or I can do to change that. But we can stand up for Henry by standing up to her," David said.

"I...wish I was as brave as you are," he lamented.

"It's not about being brave," David countered and Archie looked at him curiously.

"It's about doing the right thing. About listening to your conscience and speaking for those who can't speak for themselves. And as much as Mary, Emma, and I will do anything for Henry, we're not the ones he needs in his corner here. He needs you. You're the doctor and he needs you to do what is best for him. Not what's best for Regina," David said passionately. Archie's eyes watered, as David's words struck him in the heart and then he sobered.

"You're absolutely right, Mr. Nolan. I hope you have a good day and please give Emma and Mary Margaret my regards," he said, as he gently tugged on Pongo's leash.

"Come on boy," he called. David started back up the steps and Wilby followed him inside.

~*~

Dr. Hopper continued down the street and wasn't surprised to run into Regina, even on a Saturday.

"Madam Mayor," he greeted coolly.

Dr. Hopper...good, I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to discuss my son with you," she replied.

"I'm afraid I must afford Henry the same privilege that my other patients have, which means I'm not at liberty to discuss our sessions with anyone," he said boldly.

"Excuse me?" Regina barked. But the bespectacled man stood his ground.

"Dr. Hopper...I am his mother and need I remind you how unpleasant I can make your life! I can take your house, your livelihood, even your stupid dog," she growled.

"Madam Mayor...your threats are not going to change my mind. Henry deserves someone that will put him first and I'm going to do that," Archie said.

"Excuse me...are you saying that I don't put my son first?!" she bellowed.

"You said it, Madam Mayor. Not me," he responded. Regina was horrified by the usually malleable Doctor's refusal to take orders.

"You're making a very big mistake, Dr. Hopper," she warned.

"Henry is my patient and I will treat him as I see fit," Archie snapped, as he stalked away. She growled and wished she had her magic at that point. This town was quickly slipping from her control and she had to do something. It all could be traced back to Emma Swan. She needed her records from social services unsealed and Sidney wasn't making any progress. She needed to work a different angle, so she took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Mr. Tromera...it's Mayor Mills. Do you still have employ that hacker friend you mentioned?" she asked, though she knew the answer to that. Damon's hacker friend or rather subordinate was responsible for allowing Damon to counterfeit money, among other misdeeds, all of which Regina overlooked thanks to his sizable donations to many of her interests.

"Yes...Mr. Bertels still in my employ. What can we do for you, Madam Mayor?" he asked.

"I need your friend to hack into some sealed records in a Boston social services office," she replied.

"That sounds almost too easy. Let me guess...would these be the records of a Miss Emma Swan?" he asked. She smirked.

"Yes...and I appreciate discretion," she replied.

"Of course...but this kind of work isn't cheap," he reminded.

"Of course...you know money is no object," she stated.

"Money I have, Madam Mayor. What I do not have is a certain schoolteacher in my bed and now there's that pretty blonde idiot in my way," he growled. Regina rolled her eyes.

"And when I see a situation that allows you to make a move, I will let you know. But dealing with them is on you," Regina offered.

"That seems reasonable enough, Madam Mayor. I'll put Mr. Bertels on this task at once," he replied. She smirked.

"Excellent," she said, as she hung up.

Deep inside her, there was a slight twinge when she thought of exactly what Damon had in store for her stepdaughter. She should have been repulsed. Even as an enemy, she shouldn't wish such on another woman. She knew what Damon planned to do to her, but she was losing control too fast. Snow was bubbling to the surface. Letting Damon dispatch David and do as he pleased to Mary Margaret was the only way to destroy what was left of Snow inside her. It was evil...even for her. But she saw no other choice. Snow had gotten Daniel killed, so she deserved everything she got. Pushing that slight twinge away, she continued on with her day.

~*~

As David returned to the apartment, he smelled breakfast cooking. Wilby went to eat the dog food Mary had put down, while he went to the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Mary's waist, as she stood at the stove cooking eggs. She giggled, as he kissed his way down her neck.

"You're making it very hard to concentrate on making breakfast," she chided.

"Mmm...it does smell good, but so do you," he purred.

"Yes, but you can't eat me for breakfast," she teased.

"Oh I think you seriously underestimate my skills then, Miss Blanchard," he countered, as he captured her lips in his own. She sighed and melted into his kiss, just as they heard a loud sigh.

"Guys...I love you both and I'm really happy for you, but seriously? Can you tone it down till I've at least had coffee," she complained. Their lips parted and Mary turned the burner off, before putting the eggs on three plates.

"Sorry Em...we, uh got carried away," he said, as they smiled at each other.

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it," she grumbled, as she poured some coffee.

"Will bacon make up for it?" Mary tempted, as she waved the plate in front of her face. The blonde smirked.

"You know the way to my heart," she said, as she took her plate and they sat down to breakfast together.

"So...do you need to go into the station today?" Mary asked curiously.

"Yeah unfortunately. I told Graham I'd come in and help with the paperwork from that debacle we had yesterday. Then I'm going to check on Henry, whether Regina likes it or not," Emma mentioned.

"Regina should be grateful to you both. You saved Henry's life," Mary said.

"Pretty sure that's the only reason she'll tolerate my presence," Emma replied.

"What about you two?" Emma asked, diverting the attention back to them.

"Oh...I don't know. I guess I hadn't thought that far ahead," she mentioned, stealing a glance at David.

"Maybe we can take Wilby for a walk down by our favorite spot," he suggested.

"Oh and I think Belle will be opening the library soon. We could stop by and see how she's doing," Mary suggested. He smiled.

"That sounds perfect," he agreed, as they continued eating breakfast. Once they were finished, David helped Mary with the dishes, while Emma got ready for work.

"I'll see you guys later. Have fun on your walk," Emma called, as she grabbed her keys and hurried out the door. Once the door closed, Mary and David looked at each other longingly, before their lips crashed together.

Mary mewled into his kiss and gasped, as the robe she was wearing became a puddle on the floor.

"Oh David…" she cried out, as his hands cupped her breasts. She bit her bottom lip to keep a moan at bay and clumsily tried to get his pants off. He kicked the offending garment away and she yelped, as he quite literally lifted her onto the island. Mary was stunned, for never in her wildest dreams had she imagined sex like this. But when he slid his hard, thick length into her again, she became lost in pure, unbridled pleasure and wrapped her small body around him, as he took her. She was sure she was blushing all the way down to her toes, as she screamed for him wantonly.

"Oh David...oh David...harder…" she pleaded, surprising herself, as she clawed at his back.

Sweat glistened on their bodies and she yelped again, as he slid into her again, this time holding her there, as he picked her up and moved her to the bed so he could do just as she begged him to. Mary's writhing form hit the bed and she gazed up at him with wide green eyes, panting and moaning eagerly, as he began moving again.

"Ohhh…" she cried, as he took her arms and pinned them above her head. He then proceeded to give her exactly what she pleaded for. Sharp, deep thrusts slowly built a rhythm and soon, he was pounding into her, mesmerized by her bobbing breasts.

"Mmm...David…" she cried, as she trembled beneath him. Her eyes flew open, as he found her sweet spot and drove his cock into it, taking great pleasure in watching her come in his arms. She cried out for him and quaked around his surging cock, as he finally came to, spilling inside her, before collapsing beside her.

He took her in his arms and tucked her close to him, as they kissed tenderly in the afterglow of their powerful and very energetic lovemaking. Mary smiled at him, as he caressed her face

"I love you…" he told her and her eyes glistened with tears.

"I love you too," she answered, still hardly believing that this...that he was real. She remembered all the times she felt like nothing, all the times Regina had made her feel so small. All the times the townspeople had looked at her like she had a disease they were afraid to catch. All the scary encounters with Damon Tromera and the way he looked at her like she was something to eat. All the times she wondered if anyone would actually miss her if she was gone. And now...she had a best friend in Emma and a man that loved her in David. Their love and faith in her had started to fill the empty void inside her that she thought would never be filled. What had started out as a flicker inside her when she met Emma was slowly growing into a fire that David had stoked in her. She was empowered in a way she never thought possible for her and he made her feel free…

~*~

Graham swallowed the aspirin and chased it with some water. He couldn't believe he had done it again. After he had promised Emma to say no to Regina, somehow, the Mayor had convinced him to come to her house last night anyway. He was pretty sure Emma was going to hate him. When she took one look at him when she walked in, she could see right through him. He had given in again. She wanted to be angry, but after seeing that vault full of beating hearts, she couldn't place the blame on him. He was being forced to do what Regina asked and wasn't even aware of it.

"You look like hell," she commented, as she sat down at her desk.

"I feel it too," he added.

"I ran patrol. Everything's pretty quiet, so we should be able to catch up on the paperwork," she mentioned casually.

"Emma…" he started to say, but she put her hand up.

"Graham...I don't want to hear it. I'm not mad at you, but I don't want to know any details," she replied. He sighed and turned back to the paperwork on his desk.

"If you're okay here...I think I'll take a drive and get some air. I need to clear my head," he said. She nodded.

"I'll be fine," she replied, as she watched him go. She knew his heart was either with Regina or somewhere close to her at all times. She drummed her fingers on the desk, lost in thought. The night they were in the vault had been really dark and she wasn't able to properly look around with the kid. She didn't have a lot of information, but knew someone who might. Grabbing her keys, she headed out to the bug.

~*~

Mary Margaret couldn't remember the last time she had spent half the day in bed. And she was pretty sure she had never done so with someone. After another bout of after breakfast lovemaking, they had fallen asleep again and woke up to find that it was after lunchtime already. There was sandwiches eaten first, a shower taken together after, and then they were finally off to the library, her hand hooked on his arm and Wilby trotted beside them down Main Street. They arrived at the library and David poked his head in.

"Belle?" he called.

"Oh David...Mary, I'm so glad to see you," the brunette called, as they stepped in.

"Wow...it looks like this place is coming right along," he mentioned, noticing the crew working to renovate the space.

"I know...I told Mr. Gold that I didn't mind doing the work, but he wouldn't have it and hired this whole crew out of his own pocket," Belle said. Mary smiled at her.

"That was very nice of him," she mentioned, just as Wilby decided to do some investigating of his own.

"Wilby!" David called with a sigh.

"I'll be back," he said, as he hurried off after his wayward canine, leaving Belle and Mary to talk.

"So..Mr. Gold hired a crew for you," Mary teased, nudging her.

"Yes...and I heard from Jefferson when he was in the shop this morning that David didn't come home last night," Belle teased, nudging her back. Mary blushed and Belle chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm not the type to gossip. I think it's wonderful and I'm so happy for you," Belle said. Mary looked down shyly.

"Thank you. It is wonderful...he's wonderful. I've...never felt like this before," she said. Belle smiled.

"I'm so glad for you," she said.

"Thanks. We came by to see if you need any help, but it looks like this crew has everything under control," she said.

"They do. I should be able to open soon. Then we can plan a trip for your students," Belle mentioned.

"I can't wait. This week, my class actually have another activity they're excited about. We're helping the new high school botany teacher plant a garden on campus," Mary mentioned in return.

"That sounds wonderful," she said.

"You know, Ms. Rose and I could use some help if you're not too busy…" Mary said. She didn't want to get her hopes up. She didn't usually have much luck in making friends, but she was hopeful that might change with Belle.

"I would love to!" Belle exclaimed. Mary smiled.

"Great...I think we're going to be working in the gardens most of the afternoon on Tuesday," the teacher said.

"I'll be there after lunch," she brunette replied. Mary smiled, as David returned, having managed to coral Wilby.

"Sorry, he's been itching for a walk all day, so he's a little wound up," he apologized.

"No apology needed," Belle replied, as she pet the dog.

"Maybe we should get that walk underway?" he asked Mary. She smiled and nodded, before hooking her hand on his elbow again.

"Have a good day," Mary called.

"You too. Have fun on your walk," Belle called back, as the couple continued on.

~*~

Emma had parked the bug a couple blocks away and walked to Jefferson's house from there. She knew there was a possibility that Sidney was tailing her car, so unless he was on foot and dashing into bushes, she was pretty sure no one was seeing her now.

She impatiently waited on the porch for the Hatter to answer.

"Deputy Swan...please come in," he offered.

"The official word on my visit is a follow up on the night you found my...David Nolan wandering in the woods near your house," she said, as she walked passed him and he shut the door.

"Of course...but you can trust me, you know. I have no love for the Queen and your father has actually grown on me. Does he have that effect on everyone?" Jefferson asked. Emma smirked.

"Well, he is the personification of his name. But he's always just been Dad to me," she replied.

"Yeah...the whole dreamscape thing was a surprise to say the least. And here I thought it would take practically an act of the Gods to make you a believer after growing up in this land," he mentioned.

"Yeah...I love modern technology and all, but other than that, it was a sucky way to grow up," she said.

"Anyway, I'm here to ask you about Graham," Emma stated.

"You're looking for his heart," Jefferson deduced.

"Uh...yeah, how did you know?" she asked.

"When you have nothing to do other than watch people for twenty-eight years, you learn stuff," she replied vaguely.

"Yeah...so the kid and I found her creepy vault the other night," she mentioned. Jefferson's eyes were in his hair.

"You found her vault?" he asked. She smirked.

"Actually, Henry did. He followed her there one day after telling her he was going to the arcade. My Mom used to tell me stories about Cora's room of hearts and how she could never shake the way that room made her feel. Until last night, I couldn't quite understand, but now...I don't think I'll ever get the sound of that room out of my head," she mentioned. Jefferson nodded.

"But you're here, because you don't think Graham's heart is in the vault," he said.

"No...she's controlling him. I know it," she replied.

"And you want me to tell you where it is?" he asked.

"A little insight would be nice. I mean, I doubt she's bold enough to walk around town with it in her pocket," Emma replied.

"Before you arrived, yes she was that bold. She knew no one would notice. But now...she suspects something is up. It wouldn't surprise me if she figures out who you are very soon," he warned. Emma bit her bottom lip.

"Well, I guess we'll deal with that when it happens. But I need to find Graham's heart," she pleaded. Jefferson sighed.

"If I had to guess, she probably keeps it locked up somewhere close. I don't think she'd risk the house, so I'd put money on her office," he replied. Her heart sank. Sneaking around Regina's house would have been difficult, but not impossible like her office. The security cameras alone would blow everything.

"I'm sorry...I wish I could be of more help. I'd like to save the Sheriff, but you need to keep an eye on your parents too," Jefferson said. She looked at him.

"You think Regina is planning something to get back at them?" Emma asked.

"It's what she does. They're walking around on air...she won't let it stand. I'm happy for them and I know they can't help but be like that around each other. But the question isn't what does she have planned for them. It's what doesn't she have planned for them," he replied. Emma's eyes widened.

"Damon...you really think she'd send him after my parents?" he asked.

"The question is why don't you? I know it's harder for you see her as the Queen and that you didn't see the things she's done to them personally, but she wants your mother to suffer," he replied.

"They've told me about some things she's done and Dad told me to story about Damon. But Mom always holds back. I keep telling her I can handle it…" Emma confessed.

"But she's your mother. It's her natural instinct to protect you. She needs to tell you everything though. You're the Savior and if you're going to save us, then you need to know exactly what you're up against," he said. Emma nodded. She knew her mother didn't like to tell her the more harrowing stories of her days as a bandit, but she was going to have to.

"I don't know everything, but Regina would hire the most vile men imaginable to hunt your mother. Your Mother is eternally lucky that no one like that ever got their hands on her, because there wouldn't have been much left of her when they turned her over the Queen," he warned. Emma nodded. She knew vaguely about those days and that didn't count the experiences her mother had in her younger years after her mother died. Every time the name Cora was mentioned, her mother visibly shuddered. Thinking there was someone worse than Regina was hard to imagine sometimes.

"I'll tell her I need to know...that's imperative to breaking the curse," Emma said. He nodded.

"I'm sorry I can't do more for Graham. But I believe breaking the curse and capturing Regina will be the only way to get his heart back," he said. She nodded.

"Then that's what I'm going to do," Emma said, as she left his house and set off back to her car. She would ease her Mother into the conversation gently, but she would urge her to tell her everything, even if she needed to do so slowly, for it was imperative that she knew her enemy and exactly what she was up against.


	13. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 13: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Graham awoke with a start and shot up in bed, before swinging his legs over the side. He put his head in his hands and took in deep breaths of air.

"Is everything okay?" Regina asked, as she rolled over.

"Uh...yeah, just a weird dream," he muttered. She gave him a long gaze and then got out of bed.

"Henry will be up soon. You should go," she suggested. He nodded and got dressed, as Regina went into the bathroom to shower. The weird dream had not been a lie, but it was more like a nightmare of things that didn't make sense. He hated waking up here, but somehow he had ended up here again, despite initially telling Regina no. He quietly hurried out the door, but stopped dead in his tracks, as he spotted a wolf in his path, staring at him intently. It seemed to look through him and then ran off, leaving Graham feeling oddly stunned with memories of the nightmare searing his memory.

~*~

Oz

Approximately 3 Years Before the Dark Curse

As Zelena sat upon the bicycle with Hades, she studied him for a moment.

"Am I that interesting, my dear?" he teased. She smirked.

"I'm just wondering why you're here romancing me. Aren't you married?" she inquired. He smirked.

"If you want to get technical," he responded.

"And your Queen doesn't mind that you're here, romancing another?" she challenged.

"She prefers it, I assure you. She doesn't exactly return my...affections. She never has," he confessed.

"If you don't love her and she doesn't love you, then why keep her around?" she questioned.

"There was a time, centuries ago, when I was quite infatuated with Persephone. And in my more volatile youth, I didn't take no for an answer. Persephone was fairest of all and so I made her my Queen. She was mine...then she betrayed me," he explained.

"She cheated on you?" Zelena asked. He nodded.

"With a mortal of all disgraces. And that wasn't the worst part. She gave birth to his halfbreed spawn and her meddlesome mother put a protection spell over the child, preventing me from laying a hand on the little wretch," he explained.

"How dreadful," she lamented.

"That's why I employed my loyal nephew to find the child. When she was born, Demeter took her and hid her away. Unfortunately, he has failed to find her and it's been over twenty-five years," he continued.

"And the only way to truly make your beloved Persephone pay for her betrayal is to destroy her child," Zelena deduced. He smirked.

"I do love the way your devious mind works. You were truly meant for me, my love," he cooed.

"I do not play second string to anyone, especially not some fairest goddess," she refuted.

"Persephone may be the fairest of all, but she lacks your wickedness," he purred and she giggled, as something he said struck her.

"Persephone is called the fairest of all, yes?" she asked.

"Yes...a term coined by her sanctimonious mother," he replied.

"Why?" he asked, noticing the pensiveness on her face. She smirked.

"It's just not the first time I've heard such a term. There is a mortal princess whom the same moniker has been coined for her. My sister seeks to destroy her for getting her true love killed. Perhaps such a moniker is not a coincidence," Zelena suggested.

"But Persephone's daughter would be half immortal…" he said, as he trailed off for a moment.

"Unless…" he started to say.

"Unless?" she questioned.

"Can you show me this princess?" he asked. She looked at him for a moment and then nodded.

"I have a way to see the Enchanted Forest from my palace," she confirmed. He smirked evilly.

"Take me there. We may still make chaos together yet," he said gleefully.

~*~

For the most part, Graham had been able to carry on his day as normal. He didn't really want to face Emma, having woke up again in Regina's bed, so he texted her, offering to take early patrol. The strange dreams played through his head though like a movie.

There was a forest and he was there, looking down at Mary Margaret. Except it wasn't Mary Margaret exactly. This woman looked exactly like her, but with long raven tresses and the most innocent face he had ever seen. He was horrified, for in his dreams, he was going to end her life. She forgave him and was waiting to die. But he couldn't do it and let her get away.

That's when he saw the wolf again, standing in the middle of the road on the back roads of town. He slammed on the breaks and stared into the wolf's eyes, as more flashes assaulted him. This time he wasn't asleep though, so how they could have been dreams, he had no idea. But they were becoming more clear and these new visions were frightening.

He saw himself enslaved to Regina, his glowing heart in her hand. Despite that, he defied her and helped the Prince escape his execution. Therefore, Snow White was awakened with true love's kiss and Regina lost.

But she wasn't about to accept her defeat and cast the Dark Curse. And this place they had been living in for the last twenty-eight years was that curse.

His eyes widened, as it all came rushing back to him like a stream of images in his head.

He remembered everything...because things were changing in Storybrooke and all because of the Savior. Snow and Charming's daughter...Emma.

"Emma…" he uttered, as he did a sharp u-turn and sped back toward the station.

~*~

After leaving the library, they stopped into Granny's for something hot to drink to take with them on their walk. They still drew a lot of attention when they entered the diner together, her hand hooked on his elbow. There were whispers, but Mary found she was able to pay them less mind than before. They could talk all they wanted, because what she and David had was between them.

"Well...if it isn't Storybrooke's newest item," Granny mused, making Mary blush.

"What'll it be?" she asked.

"Two hot cocoas with cinnamon," David replied. The elderly woman smiled at them.

"Coming right up," she said, giving them a cheeky look, as she went to make their drinks.

"You'd think they'd have better things to do than stare at us," she muttered.

"People love gossip," he agreed. It was true in this land it seemed, just as it had been in their land. The other royals and nobles of the court loved to gossip, especially about them. A marriage based on true love in royalty was an anomaly. He and Snow had begun a trend though. They were one of the first royal marriages in many years that was not arranged and based solely on true love. Thomas and Ella followed their example, though King Christopher was a bit more open to this kind of thing. Abigail and Frederick had been next, though Midas was reluctant. Frederick wasn't a royal, but being that he was a Knight, the King allowed it, though Charming doubted Abigail would have let her father stop her.

While Thomas' kingdom had accepted a former peasant as their Queen, Charming knew that Snow's much more conservative court, still loyal to the long dead Leopold, might have put up much fuss if they had known he was not the real James.

He knew Snow would never allow them to tell her who she could or could not marry, but he was well aware of the uproar it might cause if it were to become public that he was raised as a poor shepherd.

It seemed not much had changed in that respect. They were still under scrutiny, though they had never let it bother them. They had always been too absorbed in their powerful, passionate love to let the opinions of others factor into their lives. And he was determined to keep that trend, as he leaned down and kissed her, probably with a little more heat than was appropriate in public.

She gazed up at him in surprise, as their lips parted.

"What was that for?" she asked. He smiled.

"We might as well give them something to stare at," he replied. She bit her bottom lip, a clear tell that she was turned on and leaned her head against his arm, just as Granny returned with their finished drinks.

"Thanks Granny," he said, as he paid her. She smiled at the pair. There was definitely something about them. Together, hot cocoas in hand, they joined their free hands and left the diner for their walk. Wilby had waited outside and now trotted alongside them.

~*~

Regina unlocked the box and picked up the glowing heart inside. She had been keeping it locked in her office, but stopped there to get it, before coming to her vault. She was too paranoid to leave it unattended any longer, especially after her jarring run-in with a defiant Dr. Hopper.

She decided to come survey what little magic she had left, for her curse was unraveling faster than she could ever have imagined. She had to keep Graham close. She had a very big problem in Emma Swan. Add to that, those two idiots were so ridiculously in love, it made her sick. She had heard all the gossip how David Nolan was shacking up with the pretty, shy schoolteacher and literally sweeping her off her feet.

And if that wasn't irritating enough, there was Gold, who was far too cocky with his little bookworm around. Belle was the leverage she had been keeping for a rainy day and with that gone, it gave him far more control than she was comfortable with.

She needed a triple strike against all of them. If she was lucky, sending Damon after the two idiots again would take care of that problem. In addition, as soon as she knew all there was to know about Emma Swan, she'd be able to proceed with destroying her. That just left the bookworm and a devious smile spread across her face, as she opened her potions cabinet.

"You may have prevented me from putting David and Kathryn in a fake marriage by manipulating the false memories I gave her, so I would say turn about is fair play," she hissed, as she picked up a matchbook from the Rabbit Hole and picked up a blue vial of potion. She put a couple drops on the matchbook and smirked gleefully.

"Let's see how smug you are when your precious Belle becomes a trashy barfly," she mused. She pocketed the matchbook. Of course, first she would need someone extra to plant doubt of her identity in Belle, before she planted the false memories. And that would require a visit to a certain flower shop owner. Yes, she was feeling very good and so she picked up Graham's heart and then dialed his number.

"Not now Regina," he answered.

"Excuse me, is that any way to talk to your Mayor?" she asked.

"I'm busy," he said.

"And I don't care. Meet me at my house," she ordered.

"No...I have much more important things to do," he replied, as he hung up on her. Regina's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He had never so blatantly refused her. Even with his heart in her hand, he was resisting. And the last time he had refused her so utterly had been...back in the Enchanted Forest. When he had his memories. If he was remembering, he could ruin everything in one fell swoop.

But how was he remembering? It wasn't possible...was it? She pursed her lips, her rage barely contained. All the recent problems with her curse could be traced back to one Emma Swan. She hoped to hell that Damon came through with that information. She needed to know why one woman was unraveling everything she had worked for. But if Graham was remembering, then he now a very big threat. A threat that had to be neutralized. She hurried out of her vault and to her car. She had to get to the station.

~*~

Emma jumped in surprise, as Graham ran in, practically crashing through the door at the station.

"Where's the fire?" she asked, as she took in his appearance. His eyes were wide with wonder, as he gazed upon her. He was disheveled and looked like he hadn't slept much in days.

"Emma…" he uttered.

"Yeah...what's going on with you?" she asked.

"Emma…" he repeated and she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes...I think we've established that I'm Emma. Me Emma. You Graham," she teased, with a smirk. But he seemed too distracted to be amused by her joke.

"I remember…" he stated.

"What?" she asked.

"I remember...and this is going to sound nuts...but you're the Savior," he replied. Her eyebrows were in her hair at that point, but it was her turn to shock him.

"Yeah...daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. The Savior, destined to break the curse," she stated, in a matter of fact tone. His eyes got bigger, if that was possible.

"You...you know?!" he exclaimed. She smirked.

"Long story...but yeah I've known since I was old enough to understand. You really remember?" she asked, hope in her voice.

"Everything...I was the Huntsman. I...I tried to kill Snow White," he said regrettably.

"My Mom tells it a bit differently. She says you made a different choice and defied the Queen, knowing very well that you were probably forfeiting your own life," Emma replied, enjoying his surprise even more, as he closed the distance between them.

"Regina...she has my heart," he uttered.

"I know...I've been trying to figure out a way to get it back. I think she's keeping it close to her," she replied.

"I...I can't believe you know…" he stammered.

"I'll tell you how, but first I think we need to get this," she replied, as she touched the spot on the center of his chest. Their eyes locked and they stared at each other for several moments.

"Regina...I never…" he started to say, but she stopped him.

"She forced you...I know that now," she replied. And with that, he closed the remaining distance and pressed his lips to hers.

~*~

Unbeknownst to them, Regina glowered at the picture of them from outside the window of the station. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but their body language spoke volumes. And then when their lips met, the rage burning inside her became too overwhelming for her to ignore. This woman...this interloper was ruining everything and she had to teach her what happened when you crossed her. She extracted the glowing heart from her pocket and thought about his rejection. If he was remembering, he was a very big threat, but his rejection is what stung the most; that he would choose this woman over her. He had defied her for the final time and he had to pay. With no more hesitation, she squeezed his heart and crushed in into diamond dust that floated away in the wind, before stalking away. The gloves were off and she was declaring war on her enemies. When she finished, nothing but dust would remain of them all if she had her way.

~*~

Their lips parted and they shared a smile.

"I guess we have a lot to talk about," Emma mentioned. He smiled. They did, but he wasn't too interesting in talking at the moment. He leaned in, about to kiss her again, when he paused.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked. The pain was sharp and excruciating. Instinctively, he knew what was happening and he should have known all along that a happy ending was not something in the cards for him. It nearly broke him, but he knew she'd go on without him. She was destined to break the curse and defeat Regina. She would avenge him. So he said the only parting words he could.

"I love you," he uttered and then collapsed to the floor. Emma cried out and crashed to her knees beside him. She shook him violently, but she knew what had happened.

"No...no...no...no…" she cried repeatedly, as she searched for a pulse. But he wasn't breathing and would never again, for she knew his heart was now dust. The Queen had done this...she had killed him. Emma sobbed against his chest, her fists clenching his shirt. Her eyes glistened with fury, as her shoulders racked with sobs and her expression was pure rage...rage for the woman that had caused all of this.

She had terrorized her parents, cursed them, forced them to give her up, forced her to grow up without them, at least when she was awake. She had her son and would do anything to keep him away. She had sent a monster after her parents and would do so again. She had killed a man she was falling in love with; the first man she had let close to her since Henry's father. The gloves were off and she was declaring war on the Queen. And when she finished, Regina would finally lose, once and for all.

She sniffed and tried to wipe her eyes in an attempt to gather herself. But it was no use. She needed the only two people that could possibly comfort her in any way right now. She picked up her phone with shaky hands and dialed her mother.

~*~

Mary Margaret leaned her head against his arm, as they walked through the woods and over the Toll bridge. Wilby was ahead of them, but not too far, quite enamored by all the wilderness and wildlife. They stopped in a clearing and were stunned by the sight of a mother deer and its baby. The doe looked at them curiously for a moment and then relaxed when she decided they weren't a threat. He gazed at her, loving the awe on her beautiful face.

"Such a beautiful sight…" Mary uttered.

"Yeah…" he agreed, though he was referring to a different sight of beauty.

"You are not even looking at the deer," she teased, as she nudged him in the ribs.

"Sorry...they are beautiful, but definitely the second most beautiful thing I've seen today," he replied. She looked at him, almost in disbelief, as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. As their lips parted, Mary gazed up at him and the love in his eyes took her breath away.

"I keep pinching myself to make sure you're real," she mentioned. He smiled.

"Maybe I should pinch you," he teased and she gasped in surprise, as he pinched her rear. He chuckled at the look on her face.

"David…" she said, as she blushed.

"What? You can pinch me too if you want...in fact, I'm sure I'd enjoy that," he replied, as he wriggled his eyebrows at her playfully.

"Maybe I will…" she challenged.

"By all means, Ms. Blanchard," he challenged back, as their lips met passionately.

"Mmm...there is so much more I want to do than pinching right now," she purred. He smirked, as she took his hand and started leading him back over the bridge.

"Come on Wilby…" he called, as he slipped his arm around her waist and she smiled up at him, her eyes shining with love. As they reached town again, they decided to pick up take out from Granny's, but that's when Mary's phone rang.

"Hi Emma," she answered. But a stifled sob made her frown.

"Mary?" she asked.

"Emma...what's wrong. You're crying," she said in alarm.

"Um...it's Graham. He's dead," she sobbed.

"What?" she asked in disbelief, as her knees almost buckled. Luckily, David was there to hold her up.

"Where are you?" she choked out.

"The station. The ambulance is on its way...but it's useless. He's gone…" she said.

"We'll be right there," Mary said, as she hung up and looked up at David with a tearful gaze.

"Is Emma hurt?" he asked, as fear seized his heart. He had to try and remember that to everyone else, Emma was just his friend. But if his baby girl was hurt...he didn't know if would be able to keep up that charade.

"It's Graham...he's dead," she cried, as he took her in his arms and held her, as she cried.

"Emma needs us…" she sobbed. He nodded and they changed their direction toward the station. He huddled Mary close to him and knew her tears were still falling, as they hurried to the station. Emma needed them.

~*~

By the time David and Mary arrived at the station, Emma had already called the hospital to tell them she needed the coroner, but they hadn't arrived yet. So David and Mary found her knelt beside Graham's body and it was a heartbreaking sight.

"Emma…" David said, as they knelt down on either side of her. Mary gently pulled her into a hug and David rubbed her back.

"What happened?" Mary asked. Emma sniffed and looked at her father over Mary's shoulder. He knew what had happened, but she couldn't exactly tell Mary that the Evil Queen had crushed his heart.

"He...just suddenly collapsed," Emma said. It wasn't untrue, as it had happened in a blink of an eye.

"I'm so sorry," Mary said, choking back a sob. Emma held onto her tightly and then pulled back, as the paramedics arrived. She quickly started wiping her tears away. Mary and David sat with her, while Graham's body was loaded into the Coroner's van.

"I know there's nothing we can say to make this better, but why don't we go home?" Mary suggested. Emma nodded.

"I'll run to the diner and be right behind you. I know grilled cheese and hot cocoa won't make it better, but it will at least be something warm in your stomach," he said. Emma managed a nod, as he saw them off toward Mary's apartment, while he headed for the diner. He took out the phone in his pocket and found a text from Emma. It read words that Emma couldn't tell him aloud.

Graham remembered everything. He told me and then he died.

That stunned him, but if he had been remembering, then it meant it worried Regina enough to eliminate him.

He went to his contacts and picked the number he wanted from the names Emma had programmed into the phone for him. He pressed the green button and then put it to his ear.

"Hello," Jefferson answered.

"Graham's dead," he said bluntly. He heard Jefferson blow out of low whistle.

"Let me guess...she finally did it, didn't she? She crushed his heart," Jefferson said.

"I think so. Emma said he just collapsed and was gone, just like that," David replied angrily.

"She's getting scared," Jefferson said.

"Emma told me he remembered. She must have thought he was enough of a threat to kill him," David replied.

"Yeah, because a healthy man his age just doesn't keel over. Even the hapless people in this town might ask questions," he mentioned.

"Too bad they'd never believe the truth," he said with a sigh.

"We need to be careful. This is just her first strike, you know. She's probably busy plotting away right now," Jefferson warned.

"I know...I need to get back to Mary and Emma. Can you call Gold? He should know," David replied.

"Sure...be careful out there," Jefferson warned.

"You too," he said, as he hung up and went into Granny's.

~*~

Regina crinkled her nose, as she stepped into Damon Tromera's club. She hated this place; this eyesore in her town. Sleazy was being too nice when used to describe this establishment. The carpet in the whole place was blood red and tacky as hell, but then Damon didn't remember exactly why he had such a penchant for red. It was late and there were only a few patrons, drinking and they paid her no mind, for the scantily clad girl on stage held their attention. She barely looked legal and under normal circumstances, not even she would let this kind of thing go on under her nose. But Damon was her means to making her stepdaughter truly pay.

"Madam Mayor...welcome. Can I interest you in a drink?" Damon asked, without taking his eyes away from the girl on stage. It was no wonder why he had hired this one. Long raven curls, green eyes, red lips and fair skin.

"This isn't a social call. I'm here, because you have yet to hold up your end of our deal," Regina said. He smirked and put his drink down, before retrieving a file from underneath the bar.

"Oh, I think this will satisfy you," he said, as he handed it to her. She eagerly opened the folder and started reading. And what she took in made her blood run cold, but suddenly made frightening sense.

"This is legitimate?" she asked. He nodded.

"Seems she was abandoned on the side of the road as an infant, not far from here. Quite a coincidence," he replied. Oh, but the Queen knew it was no coincidence. It all made perfect sense now. Emma Swan wasn't just an ordinary orphan. She was the Savior...daughter of her enemies. Her protectiveness of those two idiots was no longer puzzling. She had found her parents and was chipping away at her perfect revenge, day by day.

"Now that you have that, I expect you to return the favor," Damon said.

"Mary Margaret and her...coma patient have been frequenting walks in the woods lately. Getting the drop on them shouldn't be that hard, but that's up to you," Regina replied. He smirked.

"That's excellent news," he said. But she ignored him and took the file with her, as she left quickly. Her curse was in more danger of unraveling than she originally thought...


	14. Desperate Souls

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 14: Desperate Souls

The Dreamscape

Emma tried to put a smile on her face, as she found herself in the Dreamscape once again. It had been a rough night to say the least. Mary and David had been there for her and she was grateful for that. David had comforted her as much as he could without raising suspicions from those around them. Right now though, Emma needed her parents as badly as ever. But she was torn, for she hated to spoil their happiness they usually enjoyed in the Dreamscape. But her fake smile couldn't fool her parents.

"Emma...honey, what's wrong?" Snow called, as she spotted her daughter. The blonde couldn't hold it back any longer and collapsed into tears, alarming Snow and Charming greatly. They rushed to their daughter and enveloped her in their embrace. Charming cradled her head, as she cried on Snow's shoulder.

"Sweetheart...what's wrong?" Snow asked. Emma sniffed and pulled back from them.

"Do you remember the Huntsman?" she asked, though she knew the answer.

"Of course. He saved our lives and defied the Queen," Charming replied.

"He sacrificed his heart for mine," Snow added.

"Yeah...well in Storybrooke, his name is...was Graham and he was the Sheriff," Emma said.

"Was?" Snow squeaked.

"He remembered, Mom. He got his memories back and then he just...died right there in front of me," Emma cried.

"Oh no...oh honey…" Snow cried, as she cradled her daughter in her arms.

"She did this...didn't she?" Charming asked. Emma nodded.

"I think so. She still had his heart...all this time," she replied.

"It seems like every time I make a little progress, Regina just strikes back and I feel like we take two steps back," Emma confessed.

"Oh Princess...I wish we could be there with you," Charming soothed.

"You will be. She's not going to get away with this," Emma growled.

"No...she's not. I know when things like this happen that it seems like darkness will win. But it won't; it just fools you into thinking it will," he reminded. She nodded and took comfort in her father's words. And for now, she was content to let her parents hold her, as they had all her life in her dreams.

~*~

Two days later

As Emma awoke on the morning of the second day since Graham's death, she knew what was ahead of them on that day. The entire town was mourning their Sheriff and was going to be nearly shut down to turn out for his funeral in just a few hours.

Breakfast was meager, as none of them were really very hungry and once they were all ready, they left for the cemetery.

Mary Margaret drove them in her station wagon and they arrived within just a few minutes to what was already a large gathering around the burial site.

Emma took a deep breath and clenched her fist and tried to prepare herself for the emotional roller coaster she was about to embark on. She felt two hands on her shoulder and saw David and Mary flanking her.

"Are you ready?" Mary asked softly. She nodded.

"We're right beside you every step of the way," David added, as she started toward the gathering. David slid his arm around Mary's waist and she leaned into his comforting embrace, as they followed her.

~*~

When they arrived at the burial site, to someone paying attention, they would have noticed the positively murderous looks that passed between Regina and Emma. The blonde clenched her fist, wanting nothing more than to lash out at Regina for what she had done. But she couldn't, mostly because no one would believe such wild things could be true; save for a few. And she was the law enforcement in this town now. She had to keep a cool head and show the people that she was more than capable of stepping into Graham's shoes.

The ceremony began and Emma barely heard a word, as a few people spoke and then Mother Superior led them through a prayer. A processional of people proceeded to toss white roses on the casket, except her parents. She noticed they had specifically picked snowdrops. The curse couldn't take everything away, for they were still her mother's favorite. Mary could never quite understand her aversion to roses, even innocently de-thorned white ones, but there was a bone deep urge in her to avoid them at all costs. Now Emma was more determined than ever to break this curse. Only then would everyone know what really happened to Graham. Only then would everyone regain what was taken from them. Only then would they be the family they always should have been. And only then would Regina pay for everything she had done.

They didn't linger too long at the grave site and found themselves following Gold and Belle to the diner for the wake. That was where Regina decided to approach them just outside the diner on Granny's outdoor patio.

"We need to talk, Miss Swan," Regina stated, as she and Sidney approached.

"Do I have a choice?" Emma drawled sarcastically, causing Regina to purse her lips in annoyance.

"This conversation doesn't require any of you," the Mayor hissed.

"Well, I'm going to tell them anyway, so you might as well just spit it out, Mayorzilla," Emma retorted. Regina clenched her teeth and then slowly let out a breath, as her demeanor turned smug.

"I'd like you to meet your new boss," she stated, gesturing to Sidney. Emma frowned.

"What?" she asked.

"I have appointed Sidney Glass as our new Sheriff," she announced.

"A reporter as a Sheriff. There's nothing that could go wrong there," Gold commented sarcastically.

"You can't do that!" Emma exclaimed. Regina smirked.

"I can and I have," she replied.

"I was Graham's deputy. I should succeed him!" Emma protested.

"And I highly question your qualifications," Regina retorted.

"Oh but you hire this guy? Storybrooke's biggest gossip weasel?!" Emma shouted, quickly drawing attention.

"I would watch your temper, deputy," Sidney purred, as his eyes roamed over all of them. It was that exact moment that David remembered exactly where he had seen this individual back in their land. He hadn't put it together at first, for he had never actually seen this man with a body. He was the entity in Regina's magic mirror. The reason that he and Snow had covered every single looking glass in their palace.

"Actually...if two people want the job, there has to be an election, I believe," a voice chimed in and all attention turned to the pretty brunette beside Mr. Gold.

"Excuse me?" Regina hissed and Gold gave her a death glare that would have made most people cringe away.

"I was reading the town charter when David asked me about the old mining tunnels and certain positions in the town leadership must be settled with an election if more than one candidate wants the job. The Mayor actually doesn't have the power to pick one over the other," Belle stated. David hid a smirk by pressing his lips against Mary's hair, disguising it as a kiss. Gold didn't hide his mirth though and chuckled outright.

"Belle is most certainly correct. If both Mr. Glass and Miss Swan want the job, then there must be an election. The people will decide who our new Sheriff will be," Gold agreed. Regina had never missed being able to rip people's hearts out more than at that moment and the look on her face was almost comical. But she managed to keep her composure and her rage remained contained; albeit barely.

"Fine...if it is an election you want, then it is an election you shall have," she purred.

"Then may the best candidate be victorious," Sidney added.

"You should save time then and just let Emma have it," David chimed in.

We're leaving Henry," she snapped angrily, as she stalked off. Henry gave them a sad look and reluctantly followed his furious mother, as Sidney slithered away as well.

"I was sure it was going to happen. I was sure that vein in her neck was going to pop this time," Mary quipped, making them all laugh, even Gold, as they went inside the diner.

~*~

Oz

Approximately 3 years before the Dark Curse

As Hades returned to the Emerald palace with Zelena, he took a moment to appreciate the decor. Sure, in the Underworld, with magic, he could conjure just about anything. But it was still the Underworld. Not even the finest decor could change that.

Zelena approached the viewing pool

"So your wife is the fairest of them all?" Zelena asked. He smirked.

"That is the term that was coined, centuries ago. It used to make Aphrodite livid, but it is true. I was once infatuated with Persephone and in my angry youth, I abducted her for my own. I knew how much it would piss Zeus off. She may not be his daughter, but he thinks of her as such," Hades explained.

"Hmmm...I always read that she was his daughter," she mentioned. He smirked.

"You can't believe everything in the mortal account of all our exploits. Some of it's true, but a lot of it is highly exaggerated," he said.

"So that part where you...forced Persephone into your bed?" she asked tactlessly. But he took it in stride.

"I was very angry and brazen in my youth. But then she betrayed me with that mortal prince," he hissed.

"I am a mortal," she reminded. He smiled.

"Oh, my you my dear are extraordinary among mortals," he said. She smirked.

"And even though you now want me, you still want to make your current Queen pay for her betrayal," Zelena replied. He smirked.

"I knew you'd understand my need for revenge. Show me this Princess they say is the fairest of them all," he said. Zelena smirked and waved her hand. Her viewing pool rippled and the image of a woman in tattered rags, wearing a hood and carrying a bow, but her back was to them.

"This ragamuffin is the fairest of them all?" he drawled. But that's when she turned and Hades took an audible gasp. It was uncanny and he did a double take. Those raven tresses, that skin white as snow, lips red a rubies, and the eyes. Yes, it was the emerald eyes that gave her away.

"Yes...this is Snow White. She was a princess, until my sister chased her out of her own castle. She wants her head on a spike, so you have that in common," Zelena commented.

"Oh my dear Persephone...I should have known. Only you would name your little halfbreed such a pretentious name," he hissed.

"Thank you Zelena. I must return to the Underworld for a time now. I have a message to get to my right hand. He will be as pleased as I am that we have finally found her," Hades said.

~*~

The diner was buzzing with the news that there would soon be an election for Sheriff. Mary and Belle were already deep in conversation about Emma's campaign with Ruby and Granny at the counter, leaving Emma, Gold, David, and Jefferson at a table out of earshot.

"Is that your second basket of onion rings?" Jefferson commented.

"Don't judge me," she warned, as she continued to polish them off.

"Emma...you're going to do great. Anyone that would vote for Sidney Glass needs their head examined," David said.

"Maybe if people weren't cursed...but I'm the outsider here. Not to mention that my past is far from squeaky clean," she replied.

"The people will see that you're the best person for the job," David insisted.

"I hate to rain on your parade, chisel chin, but Regina will play dirty and if that doesn't work, she'll cheat," Jefferson warned. David sighed.

"Then what do you suggest? We can't let Sidney Glass run the Sheriff's department," he said.

"We might have to play dirty in return," Gold muttered. Emma eyed him wearily.

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," she replied.

"Like it or not, in a cursed Storybrooke, Regina still runs this town. The ones that don't follow her blindly will follow her out of fear," Gold said.

"Not to mention that they aren't even questioning why a healthy thirty-year old man just dropped dead. I mean, Regina didn't even invent a plausible cause of death for him. An aneurysm or something. But just plain heart failure...and no one blinks an eye," Jefferson complained.

"They're cursed...so it makes sense. Doesn't Granny have a heart attack like once a year, because Ruby tries to leave and the curse just repeats? No one seems to question that either," Emma commented.

"Guess you have a point," Jefferson agreed.

"So...what do you have in mind to help Emma win?" David asked, steering them back to that topic..

"The less you know the better," Gold stated vaguely, as Belle and Mary returned to the table.

"We think we have a good design for your campaign posters," Mary announced.

"Already?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Belle said, as she looked at Gold.

"Do you think we can go by the print shop on the way home to put in the order?" she asked. He smirked.

"Of course," he agreed.

"Great...then tomorrow we can start putting them up all over town. Will you help me?" Mary asked to David and he responded with a kiss to her cheek.

"Anything for you...and Emma," he agreed.

"I think I'm getting a cavity," Jefferson deadpanned, as Emma got up.

"Where are you going?" Mary asked.

"I think I'm going to head to the station for a while," Emma replied, noticing the worried look on the raven haired beauty's face. So she gave her a small smile.

"I'm fine...I promise. You and David go home and I'll see you later," she assured.

~*~

Persephone found herself wandering the town that evening, lost in thought. She had learned a great deal since her arrival, as she watched the cursed citizens of this town. Regina had far less control than she would have thought. It seemed her granddaughter's arrival had pulled on one loose thread and began to unravel her supposed perfect revenge. It was a good thing, but she still worried, for she knew it would make the Queen even more desperate to regain a handle on things. That meant her actions would be unpredictable and there was no telling what horror she had had in the works for her family.

There was Deimos or Damon, as he was known here, to complicate things as well. One attack on her daughter would certainly lead to another and the next one would be even bolder. She knew for certain she had to take some sort of pre-emptive strike against him. But without magic, that wasn't exactly an easy thing to do.

She had gathered one surprising fact though and was shocked to realize her son-in-law was fully awake. The fact that the Queen hadn't noticed yet told that she was still too wrapped up in all her other problems to realize it. But she knew it wouldn't be long.

As she stopped on the street, she saw a light on in the shop and debated the same thing she had all day. That was whether or not to reveal herself to the Dark One. Normally, she wouldn't even entertain such an idea, but she was aware of David's partnership with him and the Hatter. They were working together toward a common goal and perhaps it was time she joined that cause. Making any deal with this man could backfire, but if David was able to get past his dark deeds, then she was willing to entertain the idea as well. After all, many of his actions involved doing such for his lost child. As much as she loathed to admit, they were probably not so different.

So with the decision finally made, the Queen of the Underworld marched toward the shop and ignored the closed sign, as she walked right in. The man behind the counter didn't look surprised by her arrival in the least, which was unnerving to say the least.

"Persephone," he greeted.

"Rumpelstiltskin," she greeted in return.

"I'll admit, I was surprised when I realized you were here," he said.

"Yes...well, I went through twenty-eight years without a glimpse of my sweet Snow. And then, one day, it was like someone flipped a switch and there she was again. I could finally see her again and all her surroundings. And I decided that Zeus' accursed rules weren't going keep me from her any longer," she explained. He smirked.

"I'll admit, I would love to see the tantrum Hades threw when he became aware of your escape," he mentioned. She allowed herself a small smirk.

"If we're lucky, his blue hair lit the rest of him one fire," she joked, as she suddenly became captivated by the unicorn mobile before her.

"If I had to guess, it is Emma's arrival that allowed you to see into Storybrooke," he said. She nodded.

"I knew I had to find a way here when I saw Deimos attack my little snow drop. I do not like to entertain what would have happened had David not been there," she said.

"Then you are aware your son-in-law is awake?" he asked.

"It is the only reason I would come to you. If there is one thing I know about my Snow's husband, it is that he would never do anything to endanger her or Emma. That means you can be trusted...to a point," she replied. He smirked.

"Your son-in-law and I want the same thing. The curse broken and our families back," he stated simply.

"And I want that too. I want to finally know my daughter and I want to destroy Deimos once and for all," she stated in return.

"I hope you have more information than I do then. Because when I gave Snow and Charming the information that he could be killed during the blood moon, it was to eliminate the very real threat he became," he said.

"The threat that you created," she accused.

"Because you told me of the contract Hades had for my second born child if there should ever be one," he countered.

"I did that so no other child would be ripped from their parents like my Snow was from me! And it still happened! Emma was ripped away too by your curse!" she cried.

"The curse was needed so I could find my son," he hissed.

"Do not pretend you would not have done the same if it was Snow that was lost. You just defied Hades and Zeus to come after her," he reminded. She sobered and let the tension ebb away slightly.

"Fighting does not get us anywhere," she stated.

"No...it doesn't," he agreed.

"We must work together," she said.

"I agree, but there are a few things I'd like to know. This dreamscape…" he said.

"Yes...that was me, at Morpheus' request. I have...favor with him and he gifted the dreamscape to my family," she explained.

"And Deimos? Because I went to great lengths to make sure Snow and Charming killed that nuisance. How did he come back from that?" he questioned.

"My...Hades is responsible for that. I can tell you exactly how Deimos was revived," she said, preparing to tell him the tale...

~*~

Mary's eyes fluttered open, as their lips parted again. They lay tangled beneath the bedsheets, bathing in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, as he caressed her beautiful face.

"That I'm so happy," she replied and he smiled.

"That's good," he said, but noticed the pensive look on her face.

"Isn't it?" he asked.

"I...I guess I just feel guilty for feeling so happy while Emma is so sad. I mean, I'm sad for Graham too, but not like she is. I think she had feelings for him," she confessed.

"Emma would never begrudge us our happiness," he reminded.

"I know...it just makes me wonder how long it can last. Graham was taken from her. What if you're taken from me?" she fretted.

"Mary…" he started to say.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I keep getting this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach sometimes," she tried to explain.

"Your feelings are never crazy. Tell me," he requested, as he held her close, their bare limbs still entangled beneath the bedclothes.

"Being with you is like something out of a dream, except for the first time that I can remember in my life...I'm awake. You make me happier than I ever dreamed I could be and that's when I get this terrible feeling in my gut that something is going to take you away," she confessed.

"My darling...I wish there was something I could do to convince you that nothing is going to take me away from you," he said, as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Believe me, I wish I could shake these uncertain feelings. Being in your arms helps though," she replied, as she pressed her lips to his.

"Then I'm going to make sure that's where you always are," he replied, as he held her close and she managed to fall asleep against him. He gently stroked her naked back and stared at the ceiling. If Regina had her way, they would be torn apart. He clenched his fist. No...he wouldn't let that happen, not again.

"Never again, my love," he quietly promised, before he finally managed to join her in sleep.

~*~

The Dreamscape

In the dreamscape, Snow and Charming spent their time until Emma came by walking together along the well worn, mysterious pathway in this dream world. They didn't know who had created this beautiful place, but outside the residence that served as their home in this place, there was a gorgeous fountain surrounded by a garden alive with flora, especially snow drops and a pathway they had taken many walks together.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"About how we used to walk like this with Emma between us when she was little. I can still hear her laughter when you used to run around and play with her," Snow mentioned.

"And then we would gather her in our arms and tell her stories about our adventures and our friends," he recalled.

"We'd watch her sleep against your chest and then you would hold me while I cried when she faded away, because she awakened before us," she mentioned, as he folded her into his arms.

"I know we are lucky to have this place; that she could have grown up without knowing us at all, but I want to be there for our daughter when she is awake! I want to experience her life and not her dreams! I want to actually wake up with you as we used to," she cried, as he held her.

"And we will, my darling. I promise. Emma will break the curse, I know it. Please have faith," he pleaded. She sniffed.

"I will...listen to me. How selfish am I? We have so much and I wish for more," she lamented.

"You are not selfish. Wanting the things that were stolen from us is not selfish. We can be grateful for what we do have and still want what should rightfully be ours," he reminded, as they saw their beautiful, grown daughter emerge from the mist.

"Emma…" Snow called, as she ran to them, like she had many times as a girl and still did as a woman. They enveloped her in their arms and Charming cradled her head, as he always did.

"I'm okay, Mom," she assured, as she heard her mother sniff.

"But I know how hard today must have been for you and I couldn't be there to hold you through it," Snow cried. Emma saw how broken her mother seemed and decided it was time to share just a little of her life in Storybrooke.

"That's not completely true," she stated. Snow and Charming looked at her expectantly.

"I haven't told you a lot of what's going on in Storybrooke, because I know how hard this is. To be here, but not there for me when I'm so close. But...in Storybrooke, we're friends. I actually live with your counterpart," Emma confessed.

"You do?" she asked. Emma nodded.

"You both were there for me during the funeral. It was exactly the same, but I wasn't alone. I'm not alone anymore," she replied, bringing smiles to their faces.

"That's wonderful…" Snow said, as she suddenly started to fade.

"Snow…" David called. Not enough time had passed for it be morning already.

"I...something's happening. I'm waking up," Snow called, as he disappeared.

"Mom!" Emma called, as David put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sure she'll be back soon," he said, as he felt funny too now.

"I think you're waking up too, Dad," Emma said.

"I...I hear your mother...she's crying out…" he said in alarm.

"I think her counterpart is having a nightmare, so it would make sense that yours is waking up," she explained.

"But that would mean…" he started to say, but then faded away. Emma smiled slightly, knowing they would be back.

"It means you're together," she said into the mist.

~*~

It was true that Mary never remembered her dreams, but there had always been impressions of something wonderful. She never remembered ever having any nightmares, so it came as a complete surprise when she awoke screaming that she had indeed not only had the most horrible dream, but she remembered every detail with frightening clarity.

"Mary...Mary, it's okay. I'm here...I'm here…" he pleaded, as she broke down sobbing in his arms as soon as she saw his face. He held her hysterical form and slowly rocked her, while rubbing a soothing hand along her back.

"Mary...please talk to me," he pleaded.

"David...oh David…" she cried.

"Shh...I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," he assured, as she finally pulled back and he cupped her tear stained face in his hands.

"It was horrible. I...I was in a strange place and it was like it wasn't me, but it was! I...I had long hair and I was searching for you," she tried to explain, as he listened intently.

"I think...maybe I was injured, because it hurt to walk and then I found you," she said, as the tears started falling again.

"My love…" he said, as he gently cradled her against him.

"You were lying on the floor in a pool of blood...so much blood. I pulled you into my arms and I kissed you...but you wouldn't wake up," she sobbed. He was stunned, as he realized that was not a nightmare, but a memory. And not just any memory, but one of Snow's. He obviously couldn't tell her that and for now, he had to treat it as what she thought it to be. A nightmare.

"Shh...it was only a bad dream, my darling. I'm here and you're in my arms," he reminded, as they settled back into bed. He held her and his soothing hand rubbing her back slowly lulled her back to sleep. He took a moment to think about what this could mean. If Mary was having Snow's memories, then that meant she was starting to remember their lives...didn't it? He could only hope, though he hated that her first memory to surface was such a traumatic one. He contemplated it for a few moments more, before finally joining her in slumber again...


	15. Backlash

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 15: Backlash

Today was the day. Regina smirked deviously, as she stared at that morning's edition of The Storybrooke Mirror. Instead of the announcement of two candidates for Sheriff on the front page, it instead displayed the scandalous past of one Emma Swan.

"Ex-Jailbird Birthed Babe Behind Bars," she read the headline. Henry's feelings had made her pause on giving Sidney the go ahead on this story for a mere moment. She knew he might pull away more from her after this, but he was doing that anyway. She was still his mother, which meant he would eventually understand all she was doing once she got rid of Emma Swan. And her idiot parents.

She couldn't believe this woman was the daughter of her most hated enemies, but she supposed it made sense. The Savior had brought unwelcome changes to her town in a very short time. And now, she had a lot of damage control to do. This was just the first step. With this story running this morning, it was likely Sidney would win the election for Sheriff by a landslide. Quite pleased with herself, Regina sauntered into her bathroom to get ready for the day. She couldn't wait to relish all the gossip this morning, as she made her rounds.

~*~

Wilby trotted back into the loft and made a beeline for the food and water Mary had set down for him, as she made breakfast. David tossed the rolled up newspaper on the counter and then put his arms around her from behind. She smiled, as he kissed her neck and she gazed lovingly at him.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked, remembering how she had awoke screaming and sobbing in the middle of the night.

"I'm fine...I'm just sorry I woke you," she replied. He kissed her hair.

"Don't be. I was glad I was there to hold you and kiss away the nightmares," he said. She smiled.

"Me too," she replied, as she divided the eggs on three plates, just as Emma came stumbling down the stairs.

"Mornings are stupid," she muttered, as she took a big sip of the coffee that was waiting for her. Emma ate a piece of bacon, as she unrolled the newspaper. But what was on the front page made her see red.

"Emma?" Mary asked, as she noticed the blonde had gone rigid.

"I can't believe her…" Emma growled, as she tossed the paper on the table for them to see.

"Oh no…" Mary fretted, as she read the headline. David clenched his fist, as he saw it too, giving her a sympathetic gaze.

"I can't believe she would do this to Henry," Mary said.

"Oh I do...she doesn't care! Henry's feelings are just unfortunate collateral damage to her," Emma spat.

"We'll beat her at this. You're still the clear choice for Sheriff over someone as slimy as Sidney Glass," David insisted. She shook her head.

"David's right. We're going to campaign for you and show this town that you're the person they want protecting this town," Mary added.

"I appreciate your optimism, guys, but this isn't good. Regina was probably holding this for exactly a moment like this, just to discredit me and influence the voters," Emma said dejectedly, as she started toward the stairs to go back upstairs.

"Emma…" Mary called, as the blonde turned back to her.

"You can't give up," she pleaded.

"When you first came to town, you told me that I did the best thing I could have done for Henry when I gave him the book in a time when I thought I had truly made a huge mistake. I gave him that book to give him hope when I had none myself," she continued.

"And then you came along and I started to have hope too. Someone who inspires hope the way you do...people are going to vote for you. Even if it means defying Regina," Mary said passionately. David smiled at her and kissed her cheek, before looking to Emma.

"She's right. We're gonna make this happen, Em," he assured. Emma smirked.

"I'll admit...your optimism is contagious, so I guess if you want to plaster the town with my posters, more power to you," Emma said. Mary jumped up and hugged her tightly. Emma chuckled and then went upstairs to get ready for work.

~*~

Later that morning...

David ducked into the backroom of Gold's shop through the rear exit.

"Have you seen the paper this morning?" he asked, finding Jefferson already there.

"Oh yeah...I'm actually surprised it took her this long," Jefferson replied. David was distracted from his tirade though when he heard a commotion in the front of the shop.

"What's going on?" David asked.

"Emma's not the only one Regina has made waves for. It seems that Belle's father has suddenly awakened and remembered he has a daughter. He keeps insisting that her name is Lacey," Jefferson replied.

"But isn't that good? And why would she do that? Isn't it her joy to keep family apart here in this little Dystopia of hers?" he asked.

"Well...see the thing about Belle's father is that he wouldn't win any awards as father of the year so to speak," Jefferson explained.

"What do you mean?" the prince asked.

"Back in our land, her father was Sir Maurice. Not quite a King, but pretty close in her Kingdom. It was a bit further south from yours and Snow's Kingdoms. Anyway, ogres were rampaging their lands so to stop them, Sir Maurice promised his only daughter's hand to a General by the name of Gaston, who had an entire army at his disposal," Jefferson told.

"And let me guess, this Gaston was only interested in offering his army's assistance if he got something out of it, namely Belle," David surmised.

"You catch on quick," the hatter commented.

"Oh believe me, I know what it's like for some King to decide to offer you up to get something in return, whether it be gold or an army. I guess I just didn't know Belle and I had that in common," he said.

"Yeah...well, here in Storybrooke, Moe French is the one that committed his daughter to the looney bin. Or at least that's what his fake memories tell him, but to be honest, it is something he would do," Jefferson informed.

"What? What kind of father would do that?" he cried.

"The kind that has a very specific vision of who his daughter should be and I think you can guess, he's none too happy about her living with Mr. Gold," the hatter replied. David sighed.

"You know, for once I'd like to see an example of a good parent around here. My real father was a drunk. My brother's adopted father is evil. And Cora was pure evil to her core. Snow still had nightmares about that woman even after she was long gone," David said.

"Well, there is you. I think if you ask Emma, she'd say you're what a father should be. And Snow is what a mother should be," Jefferson replied. But the Prince shook his head.

"Except we couldn't be there for our daughter when she needed me most, like the time this article is describing. Snow and I couldn't be there, so she had to give her baby up and go to prison, because some little worm betrayed her," he growled.

"You and Snow were there...maybe not conventionally, but don't go comparing yourself to the likes of Moe French or Cora, and especially not King George. You're the type of father I aspire to be with Grace. I failed miserably, but I did try," he lamented.

"You didn't fail. You did your best when you had nothing. Don't compare yourself to them either," David replied.

"I guess…" Jefferson said.

"All we can do now is try to stop Regina from winning," David stated.

"Well, your daughter becoming Sheriff would be a huge blow. She needs to win that election," Jefferson said.

~*~

"Lacey...please…" Moe French pleaded.

"I'm sorry...I just don't remember you and my name is Belle. That is one thing I do remember," the brunette replied.

"That's what this...lecher wants you to think!" Moe hissed, glowering at Mr. Gold.

"Belle...this is the man that conspired with Regina to put you in the basement of that hospital," Mr. Gold replied.

"Is that true?" Belle asked.

"Lacey dear...the last thing I wanted to do was put you there, but I'm afraid you were quite disturbed. All because of him," Moe hissed.

"Wait...you put me there, because you didn't want me to be with Mr. Gold?" she asked.

"Lacey…" he protested.

"They convinced me you were dead, Belle. To keep us apart," Mr. Gold interrupted.

"Lacey...you have no idea what this man is really like! You must know that the entire town fears him! There is a reason for that!" Moe cried. Belle looked between them.

"Mr. Gold has been good to me. My friend David told me I could trust him and so far, he hasn't led me wrong," she replied.

"David? You mean the amnesiac coma patient?" Moe asked derisively.

"He's my friend and I don't like your tone. You may be my father, but you can't run my life!" Belle cried.

"Lacey please…" he pleaded.

"I want you to leave and stop calling me Lacey!" she demanded. Moe glared at Mr. Gold.

"This isn't over," he growled.

"Oh, I think it is, dearie. Get out of my shop," Mr. Gold growled back. Belle sighed, as he left.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Mr. Gold said.

"It's okay...I'm just not sure what to think or feel. I wish I could remember my life before I ended up in that cell," she lamented.

"Belle…" he started to say, but she held her hand up.

"It's okay. I think I just need some air and I promised Mary Margaret I'd join her class in planting a garden on the school campus today. I think that will be a nice distraction," Belle said, as she got her coat and headed out.

"Well, it seems like Lord Maurice hasn't changed much. He still treats his daughter like property," Jefferson commented, as he and David came in from the backroom.

"Regina is pulling out all the stops. First this trash in the newspaper about my daughter and now she's trying to drive a rift between you and Belle," David said.

"Which means you need to keep a very close eye on Mary Margaret, while I figure out how to make Regina pay," Gold growled.

"Hold on...as much as I want to see the Queen locked up in some tiny cell or properly charged for her crimes, I'd like to get her to that point legally," David said.

"With Albert Spencer, aka King George, as the district attorney? That's doubtful," Jefferson commented. David clenched his fists at the mention of George's name.

"I need to get to the shelter. Come on Wilby," he called, as the dog followed him out.

"So...what do you have in mind for the Queen?" Jefferson asked now that the prince was gone. It was true that David wanted Regina to pay as much as they did. But he was by far the noblest of the three of them. His conscience held him back in ways that it didn't for the Mad Hatter and the Dark One.

"Regina is playing with fire and she just may get burned," Rumple hissed.

~*~

"Now...once you've dug a nice well in the dirt, we can plant our flowers," Stephanie instructed, as she demonstrated her technique. Mary watched her students eagerly copy the other teacher and joined them, digging her own well with gardening gloves, which they all wore; a nice gift from Ms. Kore.

"Now it's time to place your flowers in the dirt. I've chosen my favorite flowers and those are snowdrops," Stephanie said, as she picked up a bunch of the white ones.

"Do we have to plant snowdrops?" one student asked. Stephanie smiled.

"No...you can pick any flower you like. But snowdrops are a unique flower, for despite their delicate appearance, they can survive even the harshest winters. So while the flowers we plant now will be okay for a while, it is the snowdrops that for sure will still remain in the spring once the Maine winter thaws," Stephanie said. Mary then watched, as most of her students picked snowdrops to plant, including Henry, who had initially picked them even without Ms. Kore's suggestion.

"Sorry I'm late!" Belle called, as she arrived and knelt down next to Mary Margaret.

"That's okay...there's still plenty to do," Mary replied, noticing her friend's troubled look.

"Is everything okay?" Mary asked. Belle nodded.

"Yeah...just a difficult morning. But I'm here hopefully to take my mind off it," Belle replied.

"Okay...but if you need to talk, I'm here," the raven haired beauty reassured. Belle smiled.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," the brunette replied. They spent the next couple hours in the garden and when they were done, they stood back to survey the beauty of their work.

"What the hell is this?" Regina demanded to know, as she arrived to pick Henry up. Mary jumped in surprise and tried not to wince under Regina's glower, but Ms. Kore stepped up to answer her question.

"You must be Mayor Mills," she stated. Regina turned to find a woman she didn't recognize.

"Just who the hell are you?" she asked.

"I'm Stephanie Kore, the new part-time high school botany teacher," Stephanie replied, enjoying the deer in the headlights expression on Regina's face.

"What?" she questioned.

"Yes...I just started a few days ago and since I'm only part time, I enlisted the help of Miss Blanchard's fifth graders to help plant a lovely garden on campus," Ms. Kore replied.

"Where the hell did you come from? We have no need for new teachers," Regina said.

"That's odd...I applied to the job posting online a few weeks ago and I'm from Boston. I assure you all my credentials are in order. I have a PHD in Botany from Boston College," Stephanie replied. Regina looked at her skeptically.

"Why would a professor of Botany come to a place like Storybrooke to teach high school part time?" Regina questioned.

"Well, not that it's any of your business, but city life became too busy for me. I decided I needed a change of pace and I've always loved the idea of a small town such as this. So far, I'm not disappointed. Miss Blanchard and her students have made me feel most welcome," Stephanie replied. Regina glared at her.

"I'm sure she has. Just know that I'll be discussing this with Principal Cook the first chance I get. Henry, let's go," she snapped.

"Bye Miss Blanchard! Bye Ms. Kore!" he called, as he reluctantly followed.

"Goodbye Henry!" they called together.

"Well...you weren't exaggerating about Mayor Mills," Stephanie commented.

"Yeah...I'm sorry about that," Mary replied with a wince.

"Don't be. Despite her attempt, Mayor Mills doesn't scare me in the least," she replied.

"I wish I was as brave as you," Mary said quietly.

"I think you're braver than you know," Stephanie replied. Mary shook her head.

"I wish I could believe that," she replied.

"Come on...let's the three of us head for the diner. The hot cocoa is on me," Stephanie suggested. Mary checked her watch.

"Okay...I have some time before David gets off. We're going to put up posters for Emma's campaign tonight," she mentioned.

"Oh that's right...I'd love to help with that if you need another hand," Stephanie said. Mary and Belle smiled.

"Of course, that would be great!" Mary agreed.

~*~

The Underworld

There was a shrieking roar that erupted in Hades' chamber, as his hair erupted in blue flames. He seethed with rage and the five rivers boiled in response to his anger. Persephone had been gone a few days, but that hadn't alarmed him, for it was still fall and the first snow had yet to fall. But a loyal informant clued him in on his treacherous wife's latest exploits.

"Yes...I thought that might piss you off," Hermes mentioned, as he gazed into the river of lost souls.

"She has betrayed me for the last time," Hades growled.

"Yes, but I'm afraid she's out of your reach now," Hermes reminded.

"Why did you inform me? You know it will anger Zeus and Demeter that you have sold out their precious Persephone," Hades inquired.

"Father was not happy about Persephone traveling to the forbidden Land Without Magic, I assure you. As for Demeter, I could care less what my Aunt wants," he replied. Hades smirked.

"Still sore about Persephone's rejection?" Hades goaded.

"She rejected you too. You just didn't take no for an answer," Hermes spat in return.

"She may be beyond my reach now...but I will find a way to make her pay for this and that precious family she went to," the God of the Underworld growled. Then he smirked evilly.

"And I think I know how," he said.

~*~

The Dreamscape

11 Years Ago

"Emma!" Snow called, as her daughter finally appeared in the dreamscape.

"Snow White," she greeted coolly.

"Prince Charming," she added with equal coldness. Snow's shoulders sunk in disappointment and Charming put his hands on her shoulders. For the past month or so, it had been like this with them. Emma had pulled away from them, even more so than she had when she was still in the system. During her earlier teen years, there was always a lot of attitude and yelling, but the warmth of their unconditional love had always won out and their little girl usually let go of her anger in the comfort of their arms.

But Emma had met someone and ever since then, there had been a change in her and not for the better.

Emma was stealing things and helping her boyfriend steal things. They were living in a car most of the time, which they had long ago learned from their daughter was a motorized carriage of sorts. It had been a source of deep anxiety for them as of late, especially when Emma declared to them that she wasn't looking for them anymore. A few nights before, she had told them bluntly that she didn't need them. She had gotten this far without them awake and she'd be just fine. They were cursed and that was suddenly not her problem anymore.

Charming instinctively knew she didn't mean it, as did Snow, but it still stung. They lamented together about how different things might have been without the curse. They felt like complete and utter failures as parents. They didn't really blame Emma for hating them.

But this new life...they knew the kind of consequences it would lead to and that's what frightened them most. It wasn't a path to a better life. They admitted to each other that they probably could have dealt with being cursed forever if Emma chose to leave them behind for a better life. But this was not a better life.

"How was your day, honey?" Snow asked. Emma smirked.

"Pretty good actually. Neal and I scored quite the haul from this uppity departmentstore," the blonde replied, enjoying the pained looks on her parent's faces.

"Emma…" David started to say.

"Save it, Your Highness, I've heard all the lectures. How I'm being a bad girl and how unbecoming my behavior is for a princess. Well, newsflash, I'm no Princess," she hissed.

"I'm an orphan who was dumped on the side of the road," she spat.

"Emma…" Snow squeaked.

"Oh I know, that's just where I came though. But it's still what it says in my file. It doesn't matter now though," she said.

"Why not?" David asked curiously.

"Because Neal and I are in love," she announced.

"Honey...that's wonderful. You're in love," Snow said, her face aglow.

"But since I'm seemingly cursed to come here every night, I just want you to know that I'm done with you two. I don't need you and you're never there anyway. I may have to come here in my dreams, but I want no part of either of you. So for the duration of my fucked up life, just leave me the hell alone," she said angrily, as she stalked out to the gardens.

"Oh Charming…" Snow cried, as she broke down in his arms.

"Shh...she doesn't mean it, my darling," he tried to soothe.

"How can you be so sure?" she sobbed.

"Because I have faith in her. She loves us and we will never stop loving her. She's just going through some really bad times," he assured.

"Then you think there's still hope?" she sniffed. He smiled and kissed her tenderly.

"There is always hope. Emma will break the curse," he assured.

~*~

Present Day

Emma was still ashamed of her behavior during that time. It wasn't long after those harsh, unloving words to her parents that Neal had set her up and she went to prison. She had been so incredibly nasty to them and yet when her world came crashing down, they had taken her in their arms with nothing but love and no judgment. It was like everything she had said was forgiven and forgotten to them. That wasn't something she was used to getting from anyone else but them. She was a mess during that time in her life and that's why today's conversation she would have to have was going to be so difficult.

Emma was ready and waiting with two hot cocoas at Henry's castle playground. She wasn't surprised at all that day that he had disobeyed Regina and ditched the bus, in favor of meeting her instead.

Truthfully, Emma was nervous about this conversation. She knew she'd eventually have to tell Henry how he came to be and about a very painful time in her life. But she wasn't expecting it to be so soon.

"Hey kid," Emma called, but she felt her heart nearly break, as he refused to look at her. But it wasn't for the reason she thought.

"Henry...I'm so sorry. I should have told you sooner," Emma pleaded.

"It's not your fault. It's hers," he sniffed, as he finally looked at her and she saw the tear tracks.

"Oh hey...come here," she cooed, as she took him in her arms.

"I'm sorry...I don't know how she even got that information. My records were supposed to be sealed, but I should have told you," Emma soothed.

"Was I really born in jail?" he asked.

"Yes...in the prison infirmary ward. I still had two months left on my sentence when you were born," she replied.

"Why were you in jail?" he asked. She took a deep breath. Her first instinct was to lie. She didn't want her son to know what kind of guy his father was. But thanks to a talk with her dad on lunch, she was going to tell him the truth. Her father had reminded her that lying to him is what Regina would do and even if the truth wasn't pleasant, lying to him would result in him losing his trust in her if he found out.

"Well...I was in love with this guy and we were both down on our luck. His childhood sucked and mine, apart from my dreams, was pretty dismal most of the time. We decided to punish the world together and stole stuff to get by," she confessed.

"It was mostly small stuff. Convenience stores, thrift stores, things like that. What I didn't know was he stole some pricey watches in Phoenix before we met. Things were finally catching up to him in Portland," she explained.

"But then...how did you end up in jail?" he asked.

"He asked me to go get the watches in a locker at the train station where he had stashed them. It made sense for me to go since they weren't looking for me. We planned to sell them and escape across the border to Canada," she replied.

"But something went wrong?" he asked.

"Yeah...an anonymous tip was called in about the watches and I was arrested with them in my possession," she replied. Henry's eyes widened.

"He turned you in?" the boy asked. She nodded.

"I was arrested and sentenced to eleven months. He probably took off to Canada, but hey, he left me the bug. That totally made up for everything," she replied bitterly. He lowered his head.

"So you gave me up," he stated.

"I didn't want to...but kid, I was in jail. When I got out...I had no job or money. I thought I was doing what was best for you. I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay...it's not your fault," he said. She smiled.

"You can be angry at me. It's okay...I messed up pretty bad," she replied.

"But you wouldn't have if not for the Queen. It's because of her that your parents had to give you up. She's ruined so many lives. We have to stop her," he said.

"Hey...you leave her to me. I know you're angry with her, but she still took care of you for ten years. For that, I have to be grateful to her. I don't think I can forgive her for what she's done to my parents, but she is still your Mom too," she reminded. He nodded reluctantly.

"But we will be a family, I can promise you that. We're going to break the curse. I don't know how yet, but if there is one thing I learned from my parents, even during my years of denying it, is that good always wins. True love, of which my parents probably share the truest of, can break any curse. And I was born of that true love," Emma told him. She knew that before that they would face much more adversity and there was no telling what Regina would throw at them. But the kid needed hope right now and it was her job to give to him, just like her parents had done for her all her life in the dreamscape...


	16. Titanium

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 16:Titanium

Mary tacked a poster to the bulletin board in the square. After enjoying hot cocoa with Belle and Stephanie at Granny's, David has shown up a little later and they got to work on putting up posters for Emma all over town. The bulletin board in the square was fair game, but most places, they had to get permission.

Fortunately, Granny was on their side and allowed them to put up Emma's posters at the diner. And Belle was already plastering the library with them, being that she owned the place. David was hopeful that the animal shelter would allow him to put her posters up there, but Mary wasn't so lucky at the hospital and the convent.

Mother Superior was quite cold to her concerning Emma and stated that in no uncertain terms would she campaign for a woman that had a child out of wedlock and went to jail. Mary decided right then that they didn't need someone so judgmental on their side.

And by the time she got to the hospital, she was disappointed to see that they were already supporting Sidney Glass. It was a little disconcerting, but she wouldn't give up. Sidney Glass would be a terrible Sheriff and would only serve Regina's interests. And Emma would make an incredible Sheriff, she knew it.

Wilby hurried up to her ahead of David and rubbed against her leg. She smiled and bent over to pet him and scratch his ears.

"Hey…" David said.

"Hey yourself," she replied, as he greeted her with a kiss. She sighed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Did you have any luck at the shelter?" she asked. He nodded.

"I convinced my boss to let me put the posters up for Emma. But he also said that he wouldn't deny Sidney the same privilege if he asks," he said.

"That's better luck than I had," she said dejectedly.

"No luck at the convent and the hospital?" he asked.

"Sidney has already cornered the hospital and I had no idea Mother Superior was so judgmental," she replied. He hugged her close.

"Hey...Emma's going to win. I have faith," he said, as he held her close. She shivered in the November air and cuddled against him. He surprised her then by sweeping her into his arms and she blushed, as he swept her into one of those dances she thought was only done at fancy balls.

"David…" she said shyly, as she noticed all the stares.

"What? You don't want to dance with me?" he asked. She smiled.

"I do...but there's no music," she replied.

"Oh, I don't know. I think we're pretty good at making our own music," he said, as she bumped into someone. They turned and saw Kathryn there with a cool look for them both.

"David. Mary Margaret, I think dancing in the square is a little juvenile, even for you two," she greeted frigidly. Mary blushed, but David smiled at her, as he pecked her on the lips.

"Kathryn…" he greeted in return, as she pinned up a poster for Sidney Glass right next to the one for Emma.

"You're campaigning for Sidney Glass?" Mary asked and then put her hand over her mouth, realizing that she had said it aloud.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I supposed to vote for the blonde deviant that keeps trying to take my friend's son away from her?" Kathryn spat, causing the raven haired beauty to recoil.

"You don't have to snap at Mary Margaret. She didn't do anything to you," David spat in return.

"Oh right, I'm supposed to be nice to the woman who's sleeping with my ex-husband and boarding the woman that's turning little Henry against his mother," Kathryn replied, with an eye roll.

"Well, like you said, I'm your ex so it's really none of your business who I'm with now, is it?" he retorted.

"I suppose not. But I do find it interesting that, according to Regina, your new sweetheart visited you almost every day you were in a coma...for years. And then she pounced on you the moment you woke up," she replied. David glared at her. There was no doubt about it now. Regina had carefully put these suggestions in Kathryn's head. Abigail would have never spewed such utterances.

"Kathryn...you must know that we didn't know each other before David's accident," Mary told her.

"Oh of course not, but you certainly didn't waste any time once you did meet, did you?" she asked.

"Mary and I fell in love, not that it's any of your business," David interjected sternly.

"No, I suppose it's not. But you'd be crazy to think that I would support the woman that helped fill Henry's head with these delusions and her best friend that's trying to steal him away," she hissed.

"Don't use that word," David hissed back. But she ignored him.

"It makes sense though. Tramps stick together," she snapped, as she stalked off. Mary looked deeply hurt and he put his arms around her.

"You can't listen to her. Obviously Regina has been spouting off to her and we both know that Emma is not stealing Henry from her. Regina is responsible for Henry pulling away. You and Emma have given that little boy hope when he had none," he implored. She swallowed thickly.

"And the other thing she said?" Mary asked quietly. He lifted her chin with two fingers so she would look him in the eyes.

"I may not remember my marriage to Kathryn, but I know we weren't meant to be; not the way we are. From the moment I opened my eyes and saw you...there's been this incredible connection between us," he said passionately. Her eyes filled with tears.

"I am so in love with you," he continued and a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I'm so in love with you too," she confessed.

"And for some reason, that makes Regina unhappy so she's going to talk behind our backs and call us names. But we shouldn't let her sully what we have," he pleaded. Mary took a deep breath.

"You're right…" she realized, as she wiped her tears away.

"I've been letting Regina do this to me for...as long as I can remember. I let her insult me day after day...but now she's going after Emma too," Mary said, as she felt this overwhelming, protective urge swell inside her when it came to Emma. If she had stopped to think about why, it might have seemed odd to her, but Emma was more than just a friend.

"She's trying to hurt Emma now…" Mary said, as she spotted the smug Mayor nearby in the square. And David watched the exact moment that something snapped inside Mary, as she stalked up to the other woman.

Most of the town milled about, as it was early evening and there was no mistaking the emerald fire in her eyes. Regina had finally pushed Mary too far and it was all because Regina went after Emma this time. He hurried after her and watched in amazement, as Mary called her out in front of everyone. It was exactly something Snow would do...but no one expected it from shy, sweet Mary Margaret Blanchard. They were about to all be shocked though.

"How dare you…" Mary spat.

"Excuse me?" Regina questioned.

"You know, I get that you hate me, but going after Emma is too much," Mary retorted.

"I didn't go after Emma. That article reported the truth about her. Nothing more," Regina said. By that time, most everyone had stopped to gawk at the public confrontation they had created.

"Did you even for a moment consider how the defamatory language in the article might make your son feel? The son you claim to love?" Mary challenged, causing gasps of surprise to ensue among many.

"Trying to give me parenting tips again? Miss Blanchard, how many times do I have to remind you that you have no place in doing so?" Regina boasted.

"You have no child, but I do," she reminded.

"No...I don't have children, but I'm not alone anymore and I know that if someday I do have them, I'll be twice the mother you are. Because I would do everything in my power to protect my child from the scrutiny you willingly subjected Henry to with the content of that article," Mary accused, causing Regina to recoil involuntarily. There were snickers and chortles from the crowd, as many seemed to be enjoying seeing the Mayor be knocked down a peg, by Mary Margaret Blanchard, no less. But none were enjoying it more than David, who wanted to cheer for her at the top of his lungs.

"Excuse me…" Regina growled. But Mary interrupted.

"No...you're not excused this time, Madam Mayor. You may have spent years barking your orders and watching us all jump. But those days are done," Mary said, as she looked around at the other townspeople.

"If you want her to stop controlling our lives and using this town for her own agenda, then you should vote Emma Swan for Sheriff," Mary announced, as she glared at the Mayor.

"Miss Blanchard...I can make your life very unpleasant…" Regina growled.

"That sounds like a threat. What kind of Mayor threatens her own citizens?" David questioned, causing rumblings through the other townspeople. Regina looked startled by the dissension.

"The kind that will only do it more if Sidney Glass, her willing lapdog, is voted in as Sheriff," Mary added. Regina glared at them.

"You'll both regret this," Regina hissed quietly. Mary Margaret let out the breath she was holding and David turned her around, grinning at her from ear to ear.

"You were amazing!" he exclaimed, as he hugged her. She blushed and it finally sunk in what she had just done.

"Oh my God...I just did that…" she started to say, but he cut her off with a kiss.

"Yes, you did and it was incredible," he praised.

"But what if she carries through on her threat?" she asked, biting her bottom lip. He shook his head.

"Whatever she does, we'll face it...together," he replied. She smiled.

"Together," she agreed, as he kissed her again and her eyes fluttered open, as their lips parted.

"You know, we've put up about as many posters as we can today. I think we should go home," she suggested. He grinned.

"Come on Wilby...time to go home," he called, as he put his arm around her and they strolled off together.

~*~

The Enchanted Forest

Shortly before Leopold's death

King Leopold watched his daughter with a proud smile, as she tended to the flowers in the palace gardens. The snowdrops were always a prominent flower among the castle flora and his little princess knew of their significance to her late mother, Queen Eva. He had to admit that when he first started courting Eva, he had been a bit miffed at first when she seemed to show little interest in roses. Never had he met a woman that seemed indifferent to roses. But Eva explained that she had always been so drawn to snowdrops and never really knew exactly why. He admitted that he didn't really understand it either.

And then they received the gift that was their precious little Snow and he had a new love and admiration for the flower that survived such a winter. It was the coldest and harshest winter any had ever seen. But he and his Queen had survived and better for it, as they received the most precious gift during a terrible blizzard in a winter that carried into a month when spring should have been blooming.

It was a funny thing, because he could remember that blizzard so clearly, but found the birth of his daughter to be virtual blur. He surmised that he had been so nervous and terrified that he had blocked some of it out. It's not like had been in the room with Eva when she gave birth. Such a thing wasn't appropriate for a man of his status.

But he remembered the first time he held her, as Johanna passed the tiny little bundle to him. So tiny and precious she was, wrapped in a white knit blanket made of the softest, finest wool in the Kingdom. The most perfect little Princess that had become even more fair and lovely as she grew into a woman. He only wished his beloved Eva could see their little girl now.

"Good afternoon, Leopold," Cora cooed, interrupting his thoughts, as she strode into the palace gardens.

"Cora…" he greeted. It was polite, but cool, as were most of their interactions. No one but the two of them knew of their past history and they wanted it that way.

"My, my, young Snow certainly spends a lot of time out here playing in the dirt. Not very becoming of a princess," Cora said distastefully.

"There is nothing wrong with Snow's affinity for the flora. It's only natural that my little princess should be among such beauty," he boasted. Cora glowered at the ever present thorn in her side that was Snow White. But she had discovered something very interesting and knew it would be the key to her demise. Snow stood in Regina's path to the throne and that meant she had to be eliminated. But when she started digging into the Kingdom's past, even she had no idea she would uncover such scandal. She had hardly believed it herself, but it was just what she needed to ruin Snow White and even better, Eva's legacy.

"Perhaps...but it's hardly proper for a princess to consort with birds and woodland creatures," Cora said, crinkling her nose, as she watched Snow pet a rabbit and put her hand out for a bluebird to land on. Two squirrels vied for her attention as well and a baby fawn wandered up to her, the mother doe hardly concerned with her baby getting close to this human.

"I have always been in awe of my daughter's affinity with the animals. It was quite remarkable and such has not ever been seen before," he boasted. Cora smirked.

"Well...I believe I heard once there was a Goddess who had a similar affinity. Persephone, I believe her name was. You know, this reminds me a wild story I heard recently," she said.

"Oh?" Leopold asked with disinterest.

"Yes...this acquaintance of mine who is very affluent in Dark Magic had this very interesting book that I decided to borrow years ago. It told a story about how Princess Eva of the northern Kingdom had a younger brother," Cora replied, knowing Eva's name would peak his interest.

"My late wife had no brother," Leopold protested.

"That's not what this book says. It was quite the romance. Prince Elijah fell in love with the Goddess Persephone, whom betrayed Hades himself to be with her mortal prince. And...they conceived a child," Cora said.

"A fantastic tale. But I don't see what this has to do with my family," he replied. But Cora ignored him.

"Hades was very angry and had the prince killed. But Persephone's mother stepped in before he could harm the child. On what should have been an early spring night, Persephone's child was born during the most horrific blizzard ever seen in all the Kingdoms," Cora recited, striking a chord in Leopold.

"I don't know what game you are playing, Cora, but I am finished talking to you," he stated, as he turned away.

"Tell me Leopold...can you recall every moment the night your daughter was born? Because I know Henry, as inept as he is, remembers every single detail of the night Regina was born," Cora said smugly, as she handed the book to him.

"Perhaps you should do a little light reading tonight," Cora added, as she sauntered away with an evil smirk on her face.

~*~

Regina leafed through the surveillance photos Sidney had taken of her most hated enemies. They were from several different days, but always the same place. The Toll Bridge with their stupid mutt during the early evening hours. She growled and pushed all the photos off her desk, sending them scattering to the floor in her home office.

"That little bitch…" she growled, thinking about the audacity of her tramp of a stepdaughter. She needed to be taught a very harsh lesson and she knew exactly how to do it, as she picked up the phone.

"Hello," Damon Tromera answered.

"Mr. Tromera...you wanted an opportunity to get to Miss Blanchard and I know for a fact that she and her idiot boyfriend walk their mutt out by the Toll bridge around five-thirty every evening. You'll need a tranquilizer to take the dog out, which is easily provided, but then the rest is up to you," Regina stated.

"I am most grateful for this information, Madam Mayor. I'm well aware of the little spectacle she created for you in the square. Is it safe to say you'd like me to teach Mary Margaret her proper place?" he asked. The Queen smirked.

"Do whatever you want with her. Just make sure when you're done, she'll never dare to confront me again and that David Nolan is permanently dealt with," she replied.

"Not to worry, Madam Mayor. David Nolan won't live to see another day after tomorrow and Mary Margaret will never leave my sight again," he assured. She grinned.

"Perfect...she'll make a nice little pet for you. Enjoy," Regina hissed, as she hung up the phone.

"And with your parents out of the way, Miss Swan, you'll be easily dealt with as well," Regina said, as she sipped at her hard apple cider.

The candlelight on the bedside table cast their shadows through the closed curtains around the bed, as lips met feverishly and clothes were divested with urgent abandon.

"Oh David…" she cried out, as he cupped her breasts in his strong hands.

"I love you...so much…" he rasped, as they tumbled to the bed. David pressed her into the mattress and nipped at her throat. Mary felt that boldness fill her again and flipped him onto his back, as she straddled his waist. His strong hands slid up down her back and to her shapely rear. She mewled into his kiss, as he cupped her backside and she lifted onto her knees, before sinking down onto his hard, thick length, until he was buried inside her the hilt.

"Mary…" he uttered passionately, as he watched her, purely mesmerized, as she started riding him with languid gallops. He gripped her hips and then slid his hands around to fill his hands with her ass, helping her ride him and thrusting as deeply into her as possible. The euphoria of their lovemaking consumed them and passion licked at their every nerve. Her core felt like liquid fire and he throbbed inside her, as she gyrated him against her clit. He held her, as she came, thrashing and quaking around him. He didn't last much longer and with a final sharp thrust, he erupted inside her, filling her to completion.

She collapsed atop his chest, as they panted together and lay there for some time, kissing softly and just enjoying their bodies being entwined like they were one. Eventually, he pulled himself from her depths and they cuddled together face to face.

"What are you thinking?" she whispered.

"About how much I love you...how amazing you are. How turned on I was when you went off on Regina," he mentioned, with a chuckle, enjoying her blush.

"I don't know what came over me," she admitted.

"She has put you down so much, which is so wrong. But you finally stood up to her when she went after someone you love. That's why you're so amazing," he said.

"Emma has stood up to her about me. She deserves the same from me," Mary reasoned.

"She's going to be so proud of you, just like I am," he replied, as he kissed her tenderly. She snuggled against him and slowly let him heartbeat lull her to sleep. He wasn't far behind her. The Dreamscape awaited them.

~*~

The next morning, Emma came down for breakfast and couldn't help the grin on her face.

"You seem happy this morning," Mary mentioned, as she made bacon.

"I am...I'd be even happier if I could have seen you go off on Regina yesterday," the blonde replied.

"So you heard?" Mary asked shyly.

"Yeah...everyone was buzzing about it last night. I'm sure they still are," Emma replied. David grinned.

"It was pretty amazing," he agreed, smiling fondly at her. Emma smiled and their conversation continued through breakfast. Once that was done, they proceeded to get ready for their respective jobs and prepared to part for the day.

Mary and David agreed to meet at Granny's for their usual walk with Wilby after work and they were off for the day

~*~

Unfortunately, when Mary got to school, the first thing she saw was the horrifying sight of the beautiful garden they had planted in utter ruins.

"What happened?" Mary exclaimed, as Stephanie was already there, looking at the scene with scrutiny.

"Vandalism...I already called Emma," Stephanie replied, as Mary noticed all the snowdrops were spattered with a red substance.

"Is that…" she started to say.

"Blood? Yes, I believe it is," she replied.

"Hey, I got here as soon as I could," Emma called, as she arrived on the scene.

"Thank you Sheriff Swan," Stephanie said, as they saw Sidney Glass also approaching.

"No one called for you, Mr. Glass," Stephanie said coldly.

"I did," Regina interjected, as she approached and Mary tried hard not to flinch under her glower. Emma just rolled her eyes and put gloves on.

"Well, I'd say we should send one of these flowers to the lab for testing," Sidney decided.

"Bravo Sherlock, why didn't I think of that?" Emma muttered, as she bagged a flower in an evidence bag.

"Well, if you ask me, it gave these sad little flowers a little color," Regina said, glaring at the two raven haired women.

"I know it's an eyesore and you probably want to replant, but I'm going to partition this off until we get the results back from the lab," Emma said. Stephanie nodded.

"Of course," she replied.

"Well, I think I'll leave you to digging in the dirt, deputy," Sidney commented.

"That's acting Sheriff Swan. You haven't won yet, Glass," she snapped back and he chuckled. As she glared at him, she noticed a trash can close by. Following on her instincts, she took the lid off and started digging.

"You know, digging through trash is a little classless, even for you, Miss Swan," Regina said snidely.

"It's called detective work, Mayor Snarky," Emma snapped back, as she pulled at a plastic blood bag, empty of course.

"What is that?" Mary asked.

"An empty bag of donated blood from the hospital, probably stolen, if I had to guess. Still think this isn't a crime, Madam Mayor?" she asked, as she bagged it too. She was going to take these to the lab personally.

On the surface, this had all the marks of a prank. But Emma had a gut feeling there was more here, like it was an omen or warning.

"I'll see you later," Emma told Mary, as she headed for her car.

"Okay," May replied, as she looked at the garden forlornly.

"It's okay...we'll replant," Stephanie said confidently.

"My students and I would love to help again," Mary replied. She smiled.

"I'd love that too," she agreed.

The Underworld

~*~

2 Years Before the Dark Curse

Winter was approaching again and soon Persephone would be forced to return here. She would be in for a rude awakening, for he hadn't shown her much else other than indifference in years. But now, with the sting of Zelena's rejection and revelation that Snow White was the daughter she had hidden from him in plain sight all these years, he wanted to make her pay. He wasn't going to tell her that he knew yet, but she was going to find a firmer hand on her when she returned and he would make her be his wife again in every way. But first, there was something things he wanted to know from a certain mortal that was now a new resident in his realm.

He watched as his two henchmen he had disturbingly dubbed Pain and Panic brought the person he had sent them for. There was maybe a half a brain between the two of them, but they were good muscle.

"On your knees before your new King," Pain growled.

"Yeah, you may have been a King in the mortal world, but down here, you're just another peon like the others," Panic hissed to the old man.

"Enough you two brutes and leave," Hades interrupted, banishing the two morons.

"Would you care for a drink?" Hades asked, as he poured wine in two goblets. The former King looked at him in disbelief and the God chuckled.

"Don't let whatever Pain and Panic said scare you. I have no interest in throwing you into the river of lost souls, Leopold. I just want to have a chat," Hades replied. The former King got to his feet and accepted the goblet of wine with weariness.

"To be done in by your own Queen...it is something I have feared myself," Hades mentioned.

"You have a Queen that would wish to kill you?" Leopold asked.

"Oh yes...I stole her away from her mother, centuries ago, and forced her into my bed. She would love nothing more than to send me into my own river," he mentioned.

"I should have never forced Regina to marry me," Leopold admitted.

"Yes...because now the woman you hoped to be a mother figure to her is now hunting her like an animal," Hades goaded, as Leopold looked upon his daughter in his vewing pool.

"Snow..." he uttered.

"You really do love her...even though she's not yours by birth," Hades observed and the King looked to him. The God smirked.

"Oh yes...I know. My treacherous wife is unaware that I know of her identity, but not to worry. Soon, your daughter will join you here in my realm," Hades hissed.

"What...what do you mean?" Leopold asked fearfully.

"My right hand, Deimos, is tracking her and her fiance as we speak. Snow and her fake Prince will soon perish at his hand," Hades boasted.

"Hades!" Persephone cried, as she returned to his chamber and saw the image in the viewing pool. Her heart dropped into her stomach and his grin was feral.

"Yes, my dear Persephone. I have found her at last and you will finally reap what you have sewn," the God growled.

"Please...Snow is innocent in this!" Leopold cried.

"I invited you here to witness the half-breed's demise. Unless you'd like to end up in the river, I'd hold your tongue, Your Majesty," Hades threatened. Persephone gazed at her daughter and her future son-in-law in the viewing pool with bated breath, willing strength to them in hopes they could thwart Deimos...


	17. Haunted

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 17: Haunted

Emma waited impatiently at Storybrooke's tiny forensics lab. In this town, there wasn't much for a forensic analyst to do, so when she asked for a rush on this, she didn't get an argument.

After what seemed like forever, the door finally opened and she went into the small lab. The technician looks away shyly, which wasn't surprising, since by his stature, Emma was almost certain he was a dwarf. And by his inability to make eye contact, she had guessed that in his former life, he had been Bashful. Here in Storybrooke, he was known as Patrick Santo.

"Did you get a hit?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Patrick replied.

"Then this person is the system?" she asked.

"Not in the criminal database. But in the hospital's," he replied, as her mother's hospital ID photo appeared on screen.

"Every hospital employee is required to get a physical before employment or volunteering. And Mary Margaret usually participates in the bi-annual blood drives," Patrick informed. He may have thought the blood swiped was random, but Emma knew better. She knew it was deliberate. For what purpose, she didn't know yet. But she was going to find out.

~*~

Flashback

Two Years Before the Dark Curse

Deimos eyed the young brunette with hunger, as she got water from the well for her village. She would make a delicious morsel tonight when he captured her. Of course, there would be all the fun to be had before he sunk his teeth into her neck. He could already hear her screams and it thrilled him. He felt that familiar urge of need and lust fill him. He was supposed to be tracking some Princess named Snow White. Hades insisted that he had finally found Persephone's daughter. He had vaguely heard of this princess turned bandit and would deal with the dirty little mongrel soon. But first, he had to satiate his hunger.

He started toward her, but she suddenly dropped the bucket of water, looking in horror at her village, which was now in flame. He smirked. So the Queen had struck again. Abducting this one would be easy since there was probably no one to miss her anymore. He was about to make his move again when the Black Knights rushed toward her. He cursed, thinking they might ruin everything, but then a well place arrow took down one, followed by another, and then another. His eyes scanned his surroundings for this expert archer and that's when he saw her.

She lowered her hood and he lay eyes on the fairest raven haired beauty he had ever seen. Eyes like emeralds, lips like rubies, and skin so fair it was almost the color of snow.

"It's Snow White!" one of the Black Knights announced, but he was swiftly cut down by a man in princely clothes, who then took the hand of this fair creature that had captured his attention. How could this be Snow White? Her posters did little to capture the incredible vision she was in person. He expected Persephone's daughter to be beautiful, but he was caught off guard by the way this woman affected him. Her presence made his blood hum in his veins and his blood lust swell in his belly. Perhaps it was her former status as an immortal or the ambrosia that had twisted his mind into depravity, but he knew he must have her. But he found he didn't just want to have her once. He wanted to keep this one. After all, Hades had felt the same about Persephone the moment he lay eyes on her so long ago. It only made sense that her daughter would invoke the same desire in a man.

"Are you all right?" Snow asked the girl.

"Yes...but my village!" she cried.

"It's okay...we've driven the Queen's forces back," the Charming said.

"Thank you…" the girl said, as she hurried back to her village. Snow sighed.

"When will she stop, Charming? How many more have to suffer because of me," she fretted.

"Snow...this is not your fault," he said, cupping her beautiful face in his hands.

"So...you're Snow White. The wanted posters don't do your beauty justice," Deimos said, as he emerged from the trees.

"Who are you?" Charming demanded to know. But he was ignored.

"You really are the fairest of them all. Your blood will be a feast like no other," he uttered. Their eyes widened and Charming pulled her close.

"Resisting me is useless. When I find someone I want...I take them," he hissed. Charming raised his sword charged the other man, only to find out that this was more than a man. Deimos grabbed the prince around the neck and lifted him off his feet, effortlessly.

"Charming!" Snow screamed, as her husband was tossed away like a rag doll. Snow backed away from the monster, as he stalked toward her and found herself pressed against a tree with him before her in a blink of an eye. She shuddered, as he caressed her fair cheek and pressed himself against her.

"Oh...you are a prize for sure, Snow White. Never have I met one I have wanted as much as I want you," he hissed, as he started undoing the ties on her riding jacket. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, as she struggled with him, but his strength was inhuman and her attempts to break free were fruitless. That didn't stop Charming from recovering and ripping him away from his beloved. Deimos growled and threw the Prince off again.

"I guess if I have to send another soul to Hades first, then so be it," he hissed, as he stalked toward the prone prince. But Snow shot an arrow at him and he chuckled, as he pulled it out of his chest like it was nothing. Her eyes widened in horror, as she realized they were dealing with something inhuman.

"You have such fire. I'll enjoy that after I deal with this," he growled, as Charming got to his feet and drew his sword. He swung at him and the monster caught the blade in his bare hand, much to their shock. He snapped the blade and batted Charming away again, before turning his attention back to Snow, backing her against the tree again.

"Who...who are you?" she cried.

"I am Deimos," he hissed, as he pinned her arms above her head. She whimpered and cried, as he grazed his teeth along her neck.

"So sweet...I must have you now," he hissed. She gasped, as he ripped her jacket away and put his hand on her belt. She screamed, as he prepared to tear the rest of her clothes off, but a growling sound stopped him. The snapping jaws of the werewolf made him retreat, as it guarded Snow. Charming started to come to and saw that Red had warded off their attacker.

"This isn't over, Snow White. You will be mine," he growled, as he disappeared in a blur. Snow broke down in sobs, as Charming took her in his arms and Red phased back into her human form.

"Oh my darling…" he soothed, as he held her.

"He was a vampire," Red revealed.

"What? I didn't think they existed anymore?" Charming asked.

"Neither did I, but my nose doesn't lie. I can smell a bloodsucker a mile away," she replied.

"Why would he want Snow? Don't vampires drink whatever blood is available? Why hone in on Snow?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I don't know...but I think we all know someone who will," Red replied. He nodded and then turned his attention back to Snow. They would deal with that later. For now, he wasn't letting the woman he loved leave his arms.

~*~

Storybrooke

Present Day

"What exactly am I looking for again?" Leroy grumbled that afternoon, as he sat down at the security station at the hospital.

"These are all the recent tapes from the wing where the hospital stores blood. You're looking for anyone that is going into this room that doesn't belong," Emma explained. Leroy glanced at her.

"What's the big deal about some vandalized flowers?" he complained. Emma sighed.

"Because my gut is telling me this is more than just vandalism," she replied.

"You're looking for someone specific, aren't you?" he asked.

"Damon Tromera," she admitted. He scoffed.

"Figures," he muttered.

"He's dangerous, Leroy and he's obsessed with Mary Margaret. I know you claim you don't care about anyone, but deep down, I know you don't want to see anything happen to her," Emma said, as they shared a long gaze.

"The blood on the flowers. It's hers, isn't it?" he asked. Emma nodded and he sighed.

"Fine...I'll do this, but I better be getting overtime," he grumbled. Emma smiled.

"Thanks Leroy, I'd stay, but I have to get to that dumb debate," she complained, as she checked her watch and hurried off.

~*~

Damon Tromera examined the tranquilizer dart he had acquired to take out David Nolan's mutt. He then picked up a pair of brass knuckles and fitted them on his right hand. He had something a bit more malevolent in mind for Nolan himself and was going to enjoy beating him to a bloody pulp. Then he would bring the broken little schoolteacher back here and finally have what was meant to be his. He put the ropes and duct tape in his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Regina wanted their happiness ended permanently and he was happy to carry out that plot.

~*~

"I'm sorry about your garden. I know how hard you all worked on it," David said, as they crossed the Toll Bridge with Wilby that afternoon. She shrugged.

"Stephanie says we can replant and I'm sure Emma will find the culprit that's responsible," she replied, as they stopped by the stream.

"Yeah, she tried to seem like she wasn't nervous for the debate tonight, but I told her she'll do great," he mentioned, as he cuddled her close. There was a bite in the air and she relished his warmth. Suddenly a rumble of thunder boomed above them.

"Uh oh...we should probably head back," she mentioned, as they watched the dark storm clouds swirl in the sky.

"Yeah...it will be time for the debate soon anyway," he replied, as Wilby barked and took off.

"Wilby!" David called, as he took her hand and they chased after him. But when they found him, he was laying unconscious on the ground.

"Wilby!" David cried, as they knelt beside him. David pulled out a dark from his fur and Mary gasped.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Mary...you need to run," he said, as rain started to pelt them.

"What? I'm not leaving you," she protested.

"I have to carry Wilby back. I'll slow you down. Go back to town and find Emma. I'll be right behind you," he insisted.

"David…" she protested.

"Mary please…" he pleaded. Reluctantly, she turned to leave, but gasped, as Damon Tromera stood on the bridge in her path.

"You won't be going anywhere, Miss Blanchard, except for back to my club with me. After I get rid of him, of course," Damon said coldly.

"What did you do to Wilby?" she demanded to know.

"The mutt will be fine. The same won't be said for your lover in a few moments though," Damon replied, as he approached. David put Wilby under a tree to shelter him somewhat from the rain, before he got in front of her.

"Mary...run…" he commanded.

"I am not leaving you with this monster!" she cried, as rain now poured down on them.

Damon kept approaching and David still stood defiantly in his way. The dark haired man raised his fist and threw the first punch. David ducked and tackled him to the ground, delivering a punch himself. This one connected and Damon growled, as he punched in return. David felt pain explode in his head, as he briefly saw the shiny metal on Damon's knuckles. He was dazed, allowing Damon to get in another punch and he threw David off, as Mary screamed for him. The blonde tasted blood and his vision blurred.

"Mary...run…" he pleaded. But instead, she spied a large stick and picked it up. David's head swam in pain after another punch and Damon backed away. He turned his attention toward Mary Margaret and was beamed across the face with a stick. He growled in pain and held his face, as she scrambled to help David to his feet.

"Mary...you need to run! I'll just slow you down," he groaned.

"David...I am not leaving you behind," she repeated, as they trudged through the muddy forest. It was dark now and rain was coming down in sheet. They could barely see anything and she yelped when David cried out, as Damon hit him from behind.

"No!" she cried, as they went rolling to the ground. David saw black spots in his vision, as Damon buried a fist in his gut, knocking the wind out of him. But he fought the urge to pass out, as the monster stalked toward Mary and shoved her against a tree. She sobbed, as he put his large hand around her slender neck and forced her to look at him.

"So fair...even soaking wet in this rain. I can't wait to finally have you," he hissed, as he used his free hand to fumble with the rope in his bag. Mary growled and kneed him between his legs. He groaned and she tried to push him away, but he pinned her with his weight.

"You'll learn you place, Mary. I'm going to teach you," he growled.

"Did you enjoy my handiwork at your lovely little garden today?" he questioned.

"It was you," she uttered. He smirked.

"Yes...but that was your blood. I swiped a bag of it from the hospital. And you know when I was smattering those stupid little flowers you love with it, I had this insatiable urge to taste your blood. So I did...and I found it to be the sweetest nectar I've ever tasted. It left me wanting more," he whispered in her ear and her skin crawled at the feeling of his hot breath on her neck.

"You're sick.." she spat. He chuckled at that.

"Yes...I suppose I am," he replied, as there was a sudden growling behind them. Mary gasped, as she saw a wolf there.

"Get out of here, mutt," Damon growled, as he kicked at it. The wolf snapped its jaws and Damon's cry pierced the air, as the animal sunk its teeth into his leg. Mary tore away from him and was about to run from David. But she stepped on a cluster of wet moss. It proved to be hallow and she cried out, as she fell through sliding down into an underground catacomb, while Damon ran away from the wolf that chased him. About that time, David came to in a daze.

"Mary!" he cried, fearing Damon had taken her. He stumbled toward the tree where he had last seen them, but never made it. He yelped, as he fell into the same catacomb she had.

"Oh David!" she cried, as he landed next to her.

"Mary...are you okay?" he asked. She nodded and helped him sit up.

"You found me," she sniffed, as they huddled together.

"I will always find you," he promised, still dazed from his injuries.

"We can't stay here though...he'll find us if he comes back," Mary feared, as she checked his head.

"You're bleeding. I need to get you to the hospital," she fretted.

"Mmm...I'm fine. You're right though, we need to get out of here," he drawled. She lifted the wet moss and climbed out, before reaching back to help him. It was pitch black and still pouring, but hand in hand, they starting running, trying to find a way out of this nightmare.

~*~

Emma drummed her fingers, as the phone rang and went straight to voice mail again for the third time. She ended the call in frustration and her worry was palpable. Neither Mary nor David were answering their phones. She knew they wouldn't just miss this. She spotted Ms. Kore arrive and hurried up to her.

"Ms Kore…" Emma said, almost frantically.

"Hello Emma," she greeted.

"Have you seen Mary Margaret and David?" she asked.

"I saw Mary Margaret at school today, but not since then. Is something wrong?" she asked.

"They're not here and they're not answering their phones," she said, as Jefferson came in along with Belle and Gold.

"Have you seen David?" she asked the hatter.

"No...he's not here?" Jefferson asked. Her worry began to multiply into a million terrible scenarios in her head, as she stalked up to Regina.

"We need to postpone the debate. David and Mary Margaret are missing," Emma said, loud enough that many heard her.

"Miss Swan, if you'd like to forfeit, that can be arranged. But we're not postponing so you can stall," Regina shot back.

"Look, this isn't about me! David and Margaret aren't answering their phones," Emma retorted. Regina rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't mean they're in trouble and I don't appreciate you theatrics, Miss Swan," Regina spat.

"It's not theatrics! The blood on those flowers this morning was Mary Margaret's! Whoever vandalized them stole her donated blood from the hospital and proceeded to spatter it all over her favorite flowers. Now she and David are missing. That's no coincidence," Emma hissed.

"Yeah, especially since Damon Tromera isn't here either," Jefferson added. But Regina ignored him.

"Miss Swan, either make your speech about why people should vote for you or your refusal will be counted as a forfeit," Regina warned. Emma glared daggers at her, but stormed to the podium. If this witch wanted a speech, she was about to get one. The room quieted, as she stepped to the podium.

"I guess I'm supposed to stand up here and tell you why I'd make the best choice for Sheriff. But if I stand here and make some speech with a lot of nonsensical reasons, then I wouldn't be the right choice. Because while I'm standing here, there are two citizens that are possibly in danger. So...I'm going to go do what a Sheriff should be doing and find them," Emma stated.

"The only thing you need to ask yourselves when you go to the ballot box is what kind of Sheriff do you want? If you like the status quo and want to keep seeing the Mayor and her cronies interests served, then you should vote for my opponent, Sidney Glass," she said, pausing for a beat.

"But if you're tired of the Mayor and her friends controlling this town and forcing their agendas on the rest of us. If you want them held accountable and you want someone that will fight to protect everyone equally and hold those who break the law accountable, then you should vote for me," Emma said, as she stepped down, just as Leroy came in and hurried to her.

"Did you find something?" Emma questioned.

"You were right, sister. Damon Tromera was caught on camera going into that room where they store the blood at the hospital. He wasn't even trying to hide from the camera," Leroy answered.

"Because he thinks he's untouchable," Emma muttered, as Sidney got to the podium and tried to get the crowd's attention. But he wasn't having much luck.

"Emma...are David and Mary really missing?" Archie asked in concern. She nodded.

"I think so," she replied.

"Then Pongo and I will help search," he offered.

"Me too," Marco added.

"Count us in," Ruby agreed.

"They walk Wilby out by the Toll Bridge in the evenings," Granny mentioned.

"We should start there," Stephanie said. Belle looked at Gold.

"We'll help too," he agreed and Jefferson nodded, as they moved toward the exit with even Leroy offering to help.

"Excuse me...the debate isn't over!" Regina cried.

"Oh I think it is in more ways than one, Madam Mayor," Stephanie interjected.

"Don't worry, we'll vote on the way out. I think we've already decided who we want as our Sheriff," Jefferson added. Commotion erupted in the hall and Sidney was left with the task of trying to calm the crowd so he could make a speech. But it was clear that nothing he said was going to resonate. Not while the likes of Emma Swan was out there doing the real police work.

~*~

They were soaked to the bone, but trekked through the mud with purpose, as they attempted to find their way out of the woods. Mary Margaret swept her wet bangs from her eyes, as she saw a structure in the near distance.

"David…" she uttered.

"A cabin," he said, as they hurried there. She was surprised to find it unlocked, but he didn't question it, as they tumbled inside. Thankfully, there was wood in the fireplace and matches nearby.

They collapsed by it and she lit a match, before throwing it onto the wood. The wood was coated, like logs specifically made to burn easy, so it gave them no trouble in burning. It was clear that the cabin belonged to someone. She just hoped they wouldn't mind them using it.

Now that there was some light, she could see the nasty gash on his forehead and caressed his face.

"I'm okay…" he assured.

"Still...I'm going to see if there's a first aid kit around here," she replied, as she started looking around.

~*~

Unknown to them, outside the cabin, Damon Tromera limped toward it. He smirked evilly, as the spied the light inside the cabin and two sets of muddy footprints on the ground.

He reached down and pulled a knife from the sheath he wore on his ankle and limped toward the cabin.

 

~*~

Despite the rain, they made it out to the Toll Bridge and Pongo took off across the bridge and started barking, as Archie hurried after him.

"Emma! It's Wilby...we found him!" Archie called, as the blonde hurried across the bridge.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

"He's breathing, so I think so," Archie replied. With a gloved hand, Emma picked up the small dart next to him.

"Tranq dart," she said, as she bagged it.

"Can you take Wilby back and put him in my car?" she asked. The ginger haired man nodded.

"Take Pongo," Archie offered, as he lifted Wilby and carried him back to Emma's car.

"Okay boy, let's go. Let's find my parents," she murmured, as she set off into the woods with her eager search party following...


	18. Madness

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 18: Madness

Mary and David shivered, as they huddled by the fire.

"I'm going to find a first aid kit," she said, as she rushed off to find one. Fortunately, there was one in the bathroom cabinet and she quickly returned.

"I'm fine," David insisted. She gave him a look and gingerly touched his chest, as he hissed in pain.

"Yeah...you're fine. You probably have cracked ribs at the very least," she fretted. He took her hands.

"I know, but I will be okay. Nothing is taking me away from you," he promised. She swallowed thickly and tried to push back the tears.

"Come here," he requested, as she did and allowed herself to be folded into his arms. She sniffed and they shivered together.

"We need to get out of these wet clothes," she mentioned.

"Baby, if you want me to take my clothes off, all you have to do is ask," he teased, making her giggle.

"Nice try, Mister. But I know you're making jokes, because you're in a lot of pain," she chided.

"As long as you're okay, I'm fine," he assured, as she gingerly undid the buttons on his shirt and saw that there was already purple bruises forming on his abdomen.

"Oh God…" she fretted.

"I'm fine...I'm sure it's worse than it looks," he tried to soothe.

"We should tape your ribs. Fortunately the first aid kit was complete and had what she needed. He hissed a little, as she taped him up and then she gently swabbed the cuts on his face with alcohol, before applying a butterfly bandage to the gash on his forehead.

"It will have to do until we get to the hospital," she fretted.

"I'm fine...thanks to you," he told her. She leaned in and kissed him, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Hey...it's going to be okay," he promised. She sniffed.

"I'm sorry...I just can't lose you. I'm happy for the first time I can remember and now I could lose you," she cried.

"You are not going to lose me…" he replied vehemently, as he kissed her fiercely. She jumped in fright, as there was suddenly a loud bang on the door.

"Oh Gods...he found us!" she cried. David grabbed the fireplace poker and got to his feet.

"David...you can't fight him! You're hurt...he might kill you!" she exclaimed, as she held onto his arm for dear life.

"I will fight for you with every breath in my body...but I promise, I'm going to fight like hell for him to be the one to go down," he promised, as he gripped the poker and the banging on the door continued.

Emma traipsed through the muddy woods, trailing closely behind Pongo, even as the rain still punished the earth. The Dalmatian barked, as they came to a clearing and Emma flashed her light on the spot where he was standing. There was a torn piece of cloth, stained in red and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Oh my God...is that blood?" Ruby cried, as she caught up to Emma.

"Yes...but we don't know who's it is yet...and I think we just caught a break," Emma said, as she noticed there was a trail of blood. Pongo took off and the search party ran after him.

On the fourth bang, the broken door splintered open and Damon stood in the doorway. He was a frightening sight, soaked to the bone and limping, with blood oozing from his torn pant leg. But it was his eyes that were perhaps the scariest thing they had ever seen. David had seen them like this before, knifing through them like daggers stained with blood. He may have been cursed not to remember his true self, but Deimos, the God of Terror, was definitely bleeding through in that moment.

For Mary, she didn't remember a time seeing him like this before and this man terrified her to her core in a way she was sure nothing ever would. She didn't have to wonder about the things he wanted to do. She was extremely clear on everything he had planned for them. She feared for them both; for the horror that awaited her at his hands, but she feared for her beloved more. This monster had every intention of murdering the man she loved and she was beside herself with so many emotions that it nearly made her faint. But she kept her feet rooted to the ground and her grip on David, for she feared him disappearing if she let go even just a little.

Her heart hammered in her chest, as the malicious man limped inside and her head hurt in a way that couldn't just be a headache. It was more like someone was screaming at her inside her subconscious to do something, to protect her love; to fight for him. How she was supposed to do that against this animal of a man, she did not know, but she found her eyes searching for anything that could be a weapon.

David gripped the poker and raised it before them.

"Do yourself a favor and step aside and maybe you'll live to see another day," Damon threatened.

"Like hell I will. If you think I'll let you hurt Mary, then you have another thing coming," David threatened back.

"Mary...unless you'd like to have his blood on your hands, then you should save yourself that pain and come with me," Damon said.

"She's not going anywhere with you," David growled. He smirked and made a show of his considerable strength by breaking a wooden chair over his knee so he could use one of the legs as a weapon. Mary yelped when he did, never imagining someone could have such strength. It was almost inhuman. As David circled the monster before them, Mary noticed a sculpture on the mantel. It was a wooden likeness of a spinning wheel and she picked it up, ready to spring in at the right moment to use it.

David swiped the poker at the other man, but he dodged and made his own strike, narrowly missing David's head. The monster of a man brought the wooden stake down on him again and David blocked in a high arc with his weapon. But Damon kneed him in the stomach and hit him on the back of the neck. Mary cried out, as he went down and their tormentor hovered over him with a devious smile.

"You should turn away, Mary. This is going to get messy," he hissed, but felt excruciating pain, as she hit him in the head with a blunt object. He held his head and fell to his knees. How it didn't drop him completely, Mary didn't know.

"That was a very big mistake, Mary," he growled, but they didn't waste any time and she helped David up, as they started toward the door. But Damon reached out and grabbed her leg, tripping her. David shoved him away and tried to go to her, but Damon hammered his fist into David's gut, tossing him away again. Mary watched the monster fearfully, as he lit the chair leg on fire and then tossed it onto the rug nearby, quickly igniting it.

"What are you doing?!" Mary cried.

"Making sure lover boy can't escape this time," he growled, as he grabbed her arm. She dug her heels and tried to stall him.

"That's it...you've left him no choice. I didn't want to do this, Mary, but you will be taught your place," he screamed at her, before angrily backhanding her. She fell to the floor in a painful daze and David saw red like he never had before.

Somehow, despite the pain, he jumped to his feet and tackled the monster that dared raise a hand to the woman he loved. He pummeled his fists into the other man, ignoring his bloodied knuckles that screamed in pain. He pushed off him and saw the fire had spread dangerously now. Damon grabbed at him and David kicked him back, but he never expected him to fall into the fire. He screamed in agony and rolled on the floor, quickly squelching the flames.

But the damage was done to the side of his right face and neck, one arm, side of his torso, and right leg. David was only sorry he didn't burn completely. He swept Mary into his arms, stumbling out of the cabin, as it was almost now completely engulfed. Unfortunately, Damon followed, now determined to kill him.

"You're going to pay...I was going to make it quick, but now I'm going to torture you until you beg me to kill you and I'm going to make that little bitch watch!" he screamed psychotically, as he trudged toward them, as Mary started to stir.

"David…" she murmured, as he knelt down in the mud and held her close. He knew he had to keep going, despite the pain and his weakened state. Mary gasped at the horrifying sight that was Damon and buried her face in David's shirt.

"Time to suffer, pretty boy," he hissed, until he heard the cocking of a gun.

"Give me a reason, asshole, because I'd love to blow your brains out," Emma growled, as she held her gun on him. Damon clenched his teeth and put his hands up reluctantly.

"You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent," she said, as she holstered her weapon and cuffed him.

"He set me on fire...you should arrest him!" Damon growled.

"Oh yeah? And I suppose your fists just accidentally landed on David," she growled back.

"You set the fire, you bastard. After you chased us through the woods. You hit Mary too...you're lucky you're still breathing," David shouted.

"He's right. That alone makes me wish you had given me that reason to shoot you," Emma added.

"David...Mary...we've got an ambulance waiting. It's a bit of a trek. Do you think you can make it?" Archie asked.

"We'll be okay," David replied, as they were both helped along by Ruby, Leroy, and Archie.

"We found Wilby and put him in Emma's car," Archie said.

"Thank you," David said gratefully.

When they got closer, the paramedics met them halfway. A handcuffed Damon was put into one, while David and Mary were put in the other and rushed to the hospital.

~*~

Oz

Present Day

The moment Emma Swan's yellow bug rolled into Storybrooke and the clock ticked from eight fifteen to eight sixteen. Time, for the first time in twenty-eight years, finally resumed in all the realms.

The only realms that had not been frozen by the curse were the Underworld, Mount Olympus, and the Land Without Magic, outside of Storybrooke. It had been quite dull indeed, for Hades. He had once enjoyed an influx of new souls daily. Most were sent to his realm by Regina or King George. Cora, Blackbeard, and the vengeful Captain Hook also kept him in business. And even his beloved Zelena had her moments, giving him contributions from Oz.

But during the curse, the only souls passing into his realm had been from the Land Without Magic. But many of those people didn't have much unfinished business, so he never held onto those souls for long. There were some of course that become permanent residents in his plane, but nothing like he had enjoyed before the curse.

But now, time was moving again and he would soon be back in business, especially since he knew Cora and Captain Hook were on the move, eagerly searching for a way to the Land Without Magic. Cora sought her daughter Regina and Hook wanted revenge on Rumpelstiltskin. Their quests were of no consequence to him though. He had his own agenda, like making his treacherous wife pay for her continued betrayal.

Fortunately, he had devised a plot to see that she and that precious little mortal family of hers did indeed pay dearly. And that was the reason for his visit to Oz on this day.

"What are you doing here?" Zelena demanded to know, as she found him in her Throne Room.

"I'm here to make all your dreams come true," Hades replied, gesturing grandly with his arms. Zelena snorted derisively.

"Thousands of years under your belt and that's your best line?" she shot back. But he took it in stride.

"Oh, how I've missed your wit, my dear," he commented.

"Be that as it may, you're not here, because of my...wit," she surmised.

"How right you are. I am here, however, because the time when we can both have our revenge has finally come," he stated. That intrigued her and he now had her undivided attention.

"I'm listening," she said, nonchalantly.

"In a moment of pure treachery, my wife has managed to find a way to flee to the Land Without Magic, specifically your sister's little spot of revenge, aptly named Storybrooke. She seeks her daughter and to help her granddaughter foil all your sister's hard work by breaking the curse," he explained.

"How did she get to a place with no magic?" Zelena inquired.

"Oh her sanctimonious mother found a loophole and got her transportation there without a portal," Hades responded.

"That's unfortunate for you, but what does it have to do with me?" she asked.

"Think about it. We could go to Storybrooke together and make all our enemies pay. Think of the chaos we could create together," he tempted.

"And how do you propose we get there without a portal? Not to mention, how do we get our revenge in a place with no magic?" Zelena questioned. He smirked.

"There is no magic there now...but that won't hold true forever. I know for a fact that Rumpelstiltskin bottled true love from those two idiots and is just waiting for the moment the curse breaks to bring magic to Storybrooke. Once he does, crossing to that realm will be possible again," he reminded.

"Even if that's true, how exactly do we get there? Portals are hard to come by," she recalled.

"Yes, but you have something that requires no portal and simply three clicks of your heels," he replied. She snorted.

"We both know I don't have the bloody things. That little retch Dorothy stole them from me," Zelena growled. But Hades chuckled, unnerving her further.

"Oh my dear, you underestimate my resourcefulness," he goaded.

"Which I suppose is understandable. I don't get out much beyond the Underworld anymore. But just when I think I've lost my touch, I manage to prove I'm still as devious as the day Zeus cast me from Olympus," he said and she gasped, as the ruby slippers appeared in his hand and she snatched them.

"How...did you get them?" Zelena inquired. He shrugged.

"I killed Dorothy," he stated and she gaped at him, before he collapsed into chortles.

"I'm kidding. As fun as that would have been, we both know I can't kill in this mortal plane. What I did is far sweeter and more satisfying anyway," he replied.

"How?" she demanded.

"Dorothy gave them to me," Hades announced. Zelena snorted.

"Now I know you're lying. That little brat would never do that," she scoffed.

"Oh, but with the right persuasion, she did just that," he said deviously. Zelena looked very intrigued.

"What did you do?" she asked. He smirked.

"Well, you see Dorothy's Auntie Em passed on not long before the curse and she has some unfinished business," he said.

"So she ended up in your realm," Zelena replied.

"You catch on quick. Anyway, dear sweet Auntie Em runs a cute little diner down in the Underworld," he explained.

"Because dead people need to eat?" Zelena quipped. He chuckled.

"Funny. But when I told Dorothy that if she didn't give me the slippers, I'd have Pain and Panic toss poor little Auntie Em into the River of Lost Souls. The little retch, as you put it, couldn't get them off her feet fast enough," he boasted.

"Pain and Panic?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"My henchmen," she clarified.

"Of course they are," she deadpanned, but was then thoughtful.

"I have to say..I'm impressed," she admitted.

"I thought you might be. So what do you say?" Hades asked.

"I'd say that once the curse breaks...Storybrooke will get wicked," she leered. He grinned with a feral gleam

"They'll be begging to be cursed again," he agreed, as they cackled maniacally together.

~*~

Storybrooke

Emma practically paced a hole in the floor, as she waited in the waiting room for word on her parent's conditions. Whale told her she couldn't go into the exam room with them, because she wasn't "family". Like hell she wasn't. But seeing her parent's friends, even Leroy also waiting with her was a true testament to how far they had come in just a short time. Just weeks ago, none of these people would have been caught near Mary Margaret Blanchard and didn't even know David Nolan. And now...they all waited with bated breath to hear about their friends. It was working, little by little. The curse was unraveling. Maybe not as quickly as she'd like, but it was happening.

To her surprise, though it probably shouldn't have been, Henry came running around the corner.

"Kid...what are you doing here?" she asked.

"My Mom is still at Town Hall, but Archie told everyone else that you found David and Miss Blanchard, so I sneaked away to come here," Henry replied. She sighed.

"Kid...I know you mean well, but you can't sneak off like that," she chided.

"She doesn't care. She's too busy yelling at Sidney, cause she's pretty sure he lost," he replied, with a grin. She smirked.

"We don't know that yet," she reminded, as she looked at the exam room door, practically willing it to open.

"They're be fine, you know," Stephanie said, as she walked toward her. The blonde sighed.

"I hope so. If I had been just a couple minutes later...I don't think that would be the case," Emma feared.

"You can't do that to yourself, Emma. They are okay and that's because of you," she replied. Emma nodded.

"I need to check and see if there's any news on Damon's condition too," she said, as he pulled her phone out. Before she could dial though, she saw Dr. Whale come out.

"How are they?" she exclaimed.

"Mary's fine...other than a few cuts and the bruise on her face. I've released her," he stated.

"And David?" she asked.

"Probably lucky, considering it could have been a lot worse. Three cracked ribs, cuts, bruises, and a minor concussion. I'm keeping him overnight for observation, but if everything checks out in the morning, I can release him," Whale reported. Emma let out a sigh of relief.

"Can we see them?" she asked. Whale sighed.

"Yes, but you need to talk to your room mate, Emma. She's insisting to stay all night in his room...but she's not family, so it's against hospital policy," he replied.

"Sorry Doc, but you might as well make that two cots, because Mary and I are both staying," she retorted.

"Miss Swan…" he started to say.

"Look, I know you mean well. Mary, David, and I are family, regardless of what anyone says," she replied hotly.

"I'd listen to her doctor. You're looking at Storybrooke's new Sheriff," Jefferson interjected, as he waltzed in with a smug smirk.

"What? The votes have been counted already?" she asked in disbelief.

"They're not done...but it's a landslide so far and they don't have many left to go. Congratulations, Sheriff Swan," he said, as she allowed herself a smile.

"Thanks…" she said, as she took Henry with her into the room.

"Does anyone listen to me?" Whale called, but received no answer.

"Doctor...can you tell me Damon Tromera's condition?" Stephanie asked.

"Are you a friend?" he asked.

"Most certainly not. I just want to know when he's well enough to be locked up in a tiny cell," she retorted and he gave her a wary look.

"The nurses are treating him and he is handcuffed to the bed. I'm heading there now, but if you're not next of kin, I can't share that information with you," he responded shortly, as he walked away. She crossed her arms over her chest and then heard an unwelcome voice behind her.

"Since we're alone...you and I can finally have a talk," Regina snapped. She smirked.

"What can I do for you, Madam Mayor?" Stephanie asked coolly.

"You can tell me who the hell you really are and how the hell you got into my town," Regina growled.

"My name is Stephanie Kore. I'm sure you've had a chance by now to call Boston to check my credentials," she replied. Regina glowered at her.

"I did...and everything is in perfect order. A degree in education and a doctorate in Botany. But I don't buy it. And that still doesn't explain how you got here," Regina retorted. Stephanie smirked.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Madam Mayor," she replied, playing dumb. Regina's nostrils flared in anger.

"I will find out who you are and what you're doing here," the Mayor snapped.

"You'll find out only what I want you to know. You're so used to giving orders and having no one pushing back. But those days are over, Madam Mayor," Stephanie snapped back. Regina smirked dangerously.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, Ms. Kore," she hissed. But Stephanie smirked.

"And neither do you, Mayor Mills, I assure you," she shot back. Regina frowned, uneasiness flickering behind her eyes briefly, before she stalked toward the hospital room.

"Henry Daniel Mills...we are leaving now," she called into the room. The boy reluctantly slipped out of the room and left with her, as she took his arm. She watched them go and then walked down the hallway, before peering into Damon's room. His burns were packed off with gauze and he was unconscious, probably from the sheer amount of morphine he was one. But for her, this wasn't enough pain for him. She wanted so badly to end him right here. Without his immortality here, she could easily do it. She may not have had an actually doctorate in Botany, but she was Persephone and knew how to easily poison him a thousand different ways with plants. But she wouldn't. She may have been Queen of the Underworld, but she had never taken life in all her years. But if this man came near her daughter again, she would find a way to send him back to her estranged husband...permanently.


	19. True North

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 19: True North

David shifted uncomfortably with the IV's, while Mary fussed over him.

"David please…" she pleaded. He sighed.

"I'm fine...I don't need to stay the night here," he complained.

"You were hurt...please, I'm going to be right here with you," she pleaded.

"You shouldn't have to stay here," he protested.

"Do you really think I'm going anywhere?" she asked rhetorically.

"I almost lost you," she said, choking back a sob. He softened.

"You are not going to lose me, I promise," he whispered. She sniffed and pulled back, as he pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss, just as Emma peaked in.

"Hey...are you up for a couple visitors?" she asked, as their lips parted.

"Always," he said, as she and Henry came in.

"Are you going to be okay, Gr...Mr. Nolan?" he asked worriedly, barely catching himself. David smiled at the boy.

"Yeah, I'm fine kid. Dr. Whale is just making me stay here tonight so he can feel important," David joked and they all chuckled.

"Henry Daniel Mills...we are leaving now," Henry's shoulders slumped, but he turned back.

"I gotta go," he said in disappointment.

"But Archie says Emma's gonna win the election!" he said, as he hurried out.

"Is that true?" Mary asked with hope in her voice.

"It's not official yet, but yeah, I have a pretty significant lead. He also said Wilby's fine and he's coming around. He's going to keep him overnight for us," she answered. Mary jumped up and hugged her.

"Tell him I said thank you," David replied.

"I knew people would make the right decision," Mary said, referring to Emma's victory.

"I could have never done it without both of you," Emma replied.

"So...not to sour the celebration, but is Damon locked up?" David asked. She sighed.

"He will be, but he's in surgery now for that bite on this leg and probably will need more with the burns," she replied.

"Well, this is probably makes me sound like a bad person, but I hope he's in excruciating pain," David said.

"Yeah, no one is shedding any tears over his predicament," Emma replied.

"Trust me...as Sheriff, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure Damon goes to jail for this," she added.

"And Albert Spencer will do everything in his power to make sure he walks," Mary muttered and David squeezed her hand.

"Hey...we'll fight him," he assured.

"He's right. In fact, I might be a bit premature on this, but if you really want to join the fight with me, I think I know the perfect way," Emma mentioned.

"How?" he asked.

"Well, I know you have a couple weeks recovery ahead of you, but after that, I'm going to need a deputy and I can think of no one better," Emma replied. Mary smiled and David looked surprised.

"Me? You...want me to be your deputy?" he asked in awe.

"There's no one I'd trust watching my back more than you," Emma replied.

"Me either," Mary agreed, smiling at him.

"Emma...I'd be honored," he answered.

"Good...I'm gonna go grab a coffee. Hot chocolate, Mare?" she asked. The raven haired beauty smiled.

"That would be great. Thanks," she answered.

"Deputy Nolan...I really like the sound of that," Mary purred. He chuckled and laced his fingers with hers ,as Mary leaned down and kissed him tenderly.

~*~

Before going to the cafeteria, Emma made a detour and slipped into the recovery room unknowingly. Normally, she tried to operate by the book, but with this guy, all bets were off. To her surprise, the piece of garbage that was the target of her tirade was half awake and still managed to smirk smugly.

"I hear congratulations are in order, Sheriff Swan," he rasped.

"Looks like you made it through surgery," she replied.

"Don't sound so disappointed," he goaded.

"Can't do that, but I can soothe my disappointment by making it my mission to see that you go to prison for a very long time," she retorted, as she cuffed one of his wrists to the bed.

"Kinky...I like that in a woman. I wonder if Mary is as kinky as you," he hissed and Emma responded by smacking a hand down on his tender leg wound. He grimaced and jerked in pain.

"Listen you disgusting pig, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you never get near Mary or David again, even if it means putting you in a body bag. Feel lucky that prison is your alternative," Emma growled, as she removed her hand and stalked out of the room.

~*~

The Dreamscape

27 ½ years ago

The dreamscape was an interesting plane of existence. The days weren't as lonely as he knew they eventually would be. Right now, with Emma being a baby, she was with him a few times during the day. He played with her and held her, relishing every moment. In the evenings, they usually awaited Snow in the garden. He always put a blanket down and this night, he watched with great joy, as Emma crawled around, having just learned this skill. She had also long since discovered her voice and babbled in baby speak, as he talked to her. In this strange place, it seemed to know what they needed for all occasions, so Emma always had plenty of toys to play with. At the moment, she became disinterested with her brightly colored blocks and crawled her way over to him. He eagerly picked her up and then stood up, intending to take her for a walk. He walked along the path by the lake and as they usually did, a few ducks and a couple swans appeared, much to Emma's delight.

But they weren't the only thing that appeared. He felt her presence before he saw her and turned, seeing Snow hurrying toward them in a long, flowing white dress. And she was breathtaking to him. He opened his free arm and folded her into his embrace, as their lips met passionately, as they did every night. Then, with great joy, he watched Emma reach for her mother and Snow tearfully took their baby in her arms. The glow in her face was one he would never tire of seeing. Inevitably, he would hold her and let her cry against his chest when Emma awoke before her, leaving them behind. He would soothe his wife as much as he could until she too disappeared from him and he would loathe the solitude until his girls returned to him.

~*~

The next day, it was official and Emma was declared the winner of the election. David was discharged from the hospital with explicit instructions of no strenuous activity for a month. He obeyed the doctor's orders, mostly due to Mary's fussing and put in his notice at the shelter.

On the second week, he began light duties at the station, as Emma taught him the ins and outs of the paperwork side of the job. On the third week, she began teaching him to drive and finally during the fourth week, she taught him how to use a firearm. He was learning driving well enough, but as expected, he took to weapons training like second nature.

During that time, Thanksgiving came and went. It was the first holiday Mary Margaret remembered spending with anyone in a very long time. And what started out as just the three of them, grew into a large gathering, including Stephanie, Jefferson, Belle, Gold, Ruby, Granny, Marco and Archie. Even Henry managed to sneak out to the loft for a while since Regina quote "didn't do" Thanksgiving.

The holiday gave way to December and the Christmas season. By that time, Doctor Whale okayed David for full duty and he was officially instated as Deputy, despite Regina's protest. Damon was still in the hospital burn ward, but Emma was fighting to ensure when he walked from the hospital, it was straight into a jail cell.

On David's first week, they caught a case that hit Emma particularly close to home. Two orphans by the name of Ava and Nicholas Zimmer were discovered to be homeless and had been hiding the fact until recently. Emma guessed that they had been technically homeless the entire length of the curse, but now that time was moving again, attention was being drawn to them now. She could relate to their predicament. She had been homeless off and on when she had run away from group homes as a kid and a teen. And then Henry got mixed up with them, which drew Regina's attention.

~*~

"Mr. Clark, is Henry okay?" Emma asked. The store owner nodded and she saw her son sitting behind the counter, looking sad and fearful next to the two children he was currently mixed up with.

"He's fine. The other two already admitted that they were using Henry to smuggle this stuff," Mr. Clark said, gesturing to the assortment of prepackaged food on the counter. It took her back to her own past like a gut punch. These weren't just kleptos or spoiled brats, seeing what they could get away with. These were hungry children.

"I'm Sheriff Swan and this is Deputy Nolan. Can you tell me your names?" Emma asked.

"I'm Ava and this is Nicholas. And before you ask about our parents...don't. We don't have any," Ava said.

"Yeah, I guessed that by the food you were trying to take," Emma replied, as they looked at her curiously.

"Mom is dead and we got separated from our Dad," Nicholas blurted out.

"Nicholas…" Ava hissed.

"So...you're Dad might still be around?" Emma asked, as she looked at her son, who nodded.

"Hey kid...why don't you and I talk over here," David gestured, as he pulled Henry aside.

"They're in the book, Gramps," Henry insisted, as he opened it to show him.

"Hansel and Gretel?" he asked. Henry nodded.

"They got separated from their Dad back in the Enchanted Forest, but their Dad is here. I know it," Henry insisted. David put a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay...I believe you. We're going to help them," he assured.

"You know, if you think your father is in town, I'm pretty good at finding people. Do you have something that belonged to him?" Emma asked. The children exchanged a glance and Ava took an object out of her pocket.

"A compass?" Emma asked, as she looked at it and then at her father.

"Gold," he said, as he took it, intending to head to the pawn shop when Regina came storming in.

"Henry Daniel Mills," she said sternly.

"Whoa...take it down a notch, Mayorzilla," Emma said, cutting her off.

"Step aside, Sheriff Swan, while I deal with my son," she snapped.

"Henry didn't mean to steal anything. It was a misunderstanding," David interjected.

"Thank you Deputy, but I already know it was these two urchins that caused all this. Luckily, I've handled the situation," Regina stated. Emma got a bad feeling in her gut at that.

"I've called social services in Boston. Tonight, you'll take these two delinquents to a pair of group homes. All the arraignments are made," Regina stated.

"Wait...a pair of group homes? You're separating them?" David asked.

"The system is overloaded with unwanted urchins, Mr. Nolan. Each home only has so many beds. Miss Swan, you should be familiar with how the system works," she goaded. David clenched his fist and Emma swallowed thickly.

"More than familiar. But we have reason to believe their father is still in town. If we can find him..." Emma said. But she was cut off.

"The decision is final, Miss Swan. Tonight, you'll drive them to Boston," Regina said coldly.

"Henry...let's go," she snapped, as he followed sadly, but not before casting a glance back at them.

"I'll run by Gold's shop and see what he knows," David said.

"Okay...I'll take these two to the diner and get them something to eat," Emma decided, as she noticed her father's troubled gaze on the children.

"Dad…" she said quietly.

"Every time I think about what you went through...I want to put my fist through a wall," he lamented.

"Dad…" she soothed.

"I know, we don't have time for this right now," he replied.

"No, I meant that I know how hard it was for us all to be apart. You and Mom suffered too," she said.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," he said.

"I know and that's one person's fault," she reminded.

"We have to stop her," he said.

"We will," she added, as they parted ways briefly, as David headed to the pawn shop.

"Well...Deputy Chisel Chin," Jefferson joked, as he came in the back way.

"We have a problem," David stated.

"I'm afraid in this town, you'll have to be more specific," Gold replied.

"It's Regina...doing what she does best. Separating children from their parents," he clarified. Jefferson frowned, as a chord was instantly struck in him.

"Do you have names?" Gold asked.

"In this land, they are Ava and Nicholas Zimmer. But in ours, according to Henry, they were Hansel and Gretel. He's sure their father is in town and they had this, which belonged to him," David said, as he put the compass on the counter. Gold started leafing through his records, as David sighed.

"If we can't find him, Regina is going to force Emma to take them to Boston tonight and put them in separate group homes," he added. Jefferson scoffed.

"She's a piece of work. She's never satisfied...she just wants to inflict as much misery as she can," he growled.

"We'll stop her...we have to," David stated, as Gold extracted a card.

"This compass was purchased by Michael Tillman," Gold stated.

"There's no address," David replied.

"No, but Michael Tillman runs the repair garage, just off Main street," Gold replied.

"Thanks," David said, as he hurried out and pulled his phone out to call Emma.

~*~

Mary entered the diner that afternoon with Stephanie. She was surprised at how well she and the new teacher hit it off. Before Emma had come along, it seemed that most had always avoided her. She had colleagues and acquaintances, but until Emma, Belle, and Stephanie, Mary had never really had friends. They were already discussing Christmas plans and while Mary had always loved the season, she was absolutely brimming with excitement this year at the prospect of actually having a loft full of friends and spending it with them and her boyfriend.

They ordered hot chocolate with cinnamon and noticed Emma was there in a booth with two children, who were eating hungrily and the blonde waved them over.

"Hey Emma…" Mary greeted, her eyes gesturing to the children.

"Mary, this is Ava and Nicholas Zimmer. I'm helping them out today," Emma said.

"Which is a waste of time. Our Mom is dead and our Dad doesn't want us," Ava added, as she swallowed.

"We don't know that. We'll find him. Why don't you two go ask Granny for refills," Emma suggested, as they went to the counter.

"Emma...what's going on?" Mary asked.

"They're orphans and they've been living on the streets. They got caught shoplifting today," Emma explained.

"That's awful," Mary said.

"It gets worse. If we can't find their father, Mayorzilla is forcing me to take them to Boston tonight. And they'll be put in separate homes," Emma added. Mary's heart sank. Emma had told her enough about the system to know that this was tragic for two young children.

"Oh Emma…" she lamented.

"David is actually at the pawn shop now, trying to track down information on the dad. I...I just have to stop her from doing this to them," Emma said. Mary squeezed her hand.

"We will," Mary soothed, as she wondered how much luck David was having in the search.

~*~

David parked in front of the garage on Main and cautiously went into the building, looking around.

"Can I help you, deputy?" a man asked, as he poked his head out from under the hood of the vehicle.

"Are you Michael Tillman?" David asked.

"Yes...is there a problem?" he questioned.

"Well, there's no easy way to say this really, Mr. Tillman, but we found your children," David replied. Michael blanched and stared at him for a moment, before sobering.

"I'm sorry deputy, I think you've made a mistake. I don't have any children," he stated. David sighed and pulled out the compass.

"I think you do, Mr. Tillman. Ava and Nicholas had this with them," David said. The man stared longingly at the compass, remembering the sentimental value the item had.

"Deputy…" he started to say.

"Nolan...David Nolan," he said.

"Deputy Nolan...I can barely keep the doors open on my garage and feed myself. I...I can't care for them," he replied shamefully. David had to remind himself that this was the curse; that whoever this man had been back in their land would never willingly have given up his children. It scared him to think about what he might have been like if he had been given curse memories. What kind of person would he have been?

"Mr. Tillman...if a parent or guardian doesn't take custody of them, Mayor Mills is forcing Emma...Sheriff Swan to take them to Boston tonight. They'll be put into the foster system and separated," David informed. Mr. Tillman looked sad, but he shook his head.

"And I hate that...but I can't. I'm not able to care for them," he said regrettably.

"I wish I could say that I understand...but I don't. I...I'd love to have children and I know that if I did, I would do anything for them," David replied, looking the man in the eyes, before turning away.

"Have a good day, Mr. Tillman," he said, as he got back in the car and drove away, with Michael watching him go with a torn expression.

~*~

As David walked into the diner a few minutes later, he saw the expectant faces of his wife and daughter, but his expression probably told them everything.

"What happened?" Emma asked.

"He said he was sorry, but he can barely keep his shop open. He says he can't take them," David told them and the expression on Emma's face broke his heart.

"I knew it...he doesn't want us. I told you, Nicholas," Ava spat, as her brother lowered his head sadly, just as the Mayor walked in.

"Well, Miss Swan, Boston is a four hour drive and the homes are expecting these two around eight pm, so I suggest you be off," Regina said, with a smug smirk.

"Regina...their father is in town. Just give us a few more days," Emma replied.

"Their father is unfit to provide for them, Miss Swan. Now, do your job and drive them to Boston...now," Regina snapped.

"What...what if someone else took them in until Mr. Tillman got on his feet?" Mary asked, as she looked at David and he smiled at her with a nod.

"If you're thinking that someone is going to be you, Miss Blanchard, then you're going to be sorely disappointed," Regina replied.

"Why? Mary and I more than capable physically and financially to take them in," David countered and Emma looked at her parents in awe. But the smug smile on Regina's face wanted to make her punch her.

"The state of Maine prefers to foster children to married couples and you two aren't married. Trust me, a teacher and her formerly comatose lover aren't exactly what they look for in potential foster parents," she said. David clenched his fist in anger. They were married and she knew damn well they were. But in his world, her world, she had stolen that from them too.

"Thanks for trying, guys," Emma said quietly, as Mary hugged her.

"Please drive carefully and call us when you get there," she requested. Emma smiled thinly.

"I will. I'll probably grab a motel room and then head back in the morning," she said, as she put the two saddened children into her car and drove away. David wrapped his arms around Mary from behind, folding her in his embrace, as they watched her go.

"Well, now that's taken care of, we won't have to worry about those two urchins running a muck in this town," Regina said, glaring at them both.

"Come on Mary...let's go home," he said, as he put his arm around her waist and they walked away, leaving the smug Mayor behind.

~*~

Emma was as distraught as she had been in a long time. As the bug rolled near the town line, with two saddened children in the back. She lamented about everything. Not only was she sick about separating these children. She was uneasy about leaving her parents behind in this town without her. Regina was relentless and wouldn't stop until her family and every other one was destroyed. She had been thinking about this for a while. More than once, she had wished there was a way to get her parents over the town line safely. She knew it was selfish, but she had thought about it more than once. Putting Henry and her parents in the bug and leaving this town behind. She knew a life on the run was no life. Her parents had done that kind of life back in their land. But at least they'd be together. She knew it was selfish and her parents would never abandon their people, even if her mother wasn't her mother right now.

But she would do almost anything right now to get her son and her parents away from Regina and Damon Tromera. She knew running away wasn't the answer though and she would have to face this head on, just as she was now facing separating these two children.

As she neared the town line, she heard a loud clunk from under the hood and the car started to smoke.

"What the hell…" she cursed, as she pulled onto the shoulder. Sighing deeply, she got out and raised the hood, coughing, as she waved her hand through the smoke. She was about to make a call when she saw Michael Tillman's tow truck, rolling toward them. She hadn't even managed to call him yet.

"Car trouble?" he asked.

"Yeah...guess we won't be making it to Boston tonight," Emma told the children. She was about to call Mary Margaret to ask if they could camp out in the loft for the night when she saw Michael staring at them. Ava held the compass, noticing it was suddenly working again. Emma opened the door and the children got out. Michael knelt down and looked at them longingly.

"I was wrong...abandoning you. It was...it is wrong," he choked out.

"I...I don't know if I know how to be a father, but I'm willing to give it a try if you'll have me. If you can forgive me," he pleaded. The two children hugged him and Emma felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Regina had failed again in the end and she couldn't wait to get home to her own parents.

"Taking them to Boston won't be necessary, Sheriff. They're my children," Michael said.

"That's good to hear. Think you can give me a tow back to your garage?" Emma asked.

"Absolutely, I think I can fix this heap tomorrow. We'll even drop you at home," he agreed. She smiled.

"You're hired," she replied...


	20. Sparks

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 20: Sparks

The mirror in her den shattered into a thousand pieces, as Regina threw a glass at it. She had been so close again. She was almost rid of those two urchins. Had they cross the town line and been put in the foster system, it would have guaranteed one happy ending that would never be restored.

But somehow, Emma Swan had done it again and the rate she was losing control was staggering. Something had to be done...something drastic. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a matchbook from the Rabbit Hole. She knew her old mentor well. Happiness made him tame and it was time to change that. If she took away what he loved most again, he would turn on everyone around him. Then picking off the Hatter would be child's play. As for the two idiots...once she found a way to neutralize Emma Swan, she'd destroy them too. If they thought they could take away her happy ending, they were about to find they were sorely mistaken.

~*~

David hung up the phone with a smile, as Mary came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. It grinned at her.

"Mr. Tillman changed his mind. He's taking custody," he replied.

"Oh...that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, as he hugged her tightly.

"So Emma will be home soon?" she asked.

"In a little while. The bug is having issues, but Mr. Tillman is towing it to his shop. He should be able to fix it tomorrow," he replied.

"Good...I didn't like the idea of Emma leaving and going to Boston, even for just a night," she fretted.

"Me either," he agreed.

"Listen to us...you'd think we were her parents," Mary joked.

"Well, if Henry's theory is right, we are. And she does roll her eyes at us a lot," he teased, knowing Mary would see it as a joke and sure enough, she giggled. He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her tenderly.

"You know, this isn't very fair. I'm not wearing any clothes and you still have all these on," she mentioned. He smirked and started backing her toward the bed.

"Let's fix that," he purred, as their lips met passionately, as her towel dropped to the floor and he closed the curtain around the bed.

~*~

The next morning...

"Well, Mr. Tromera, considering the third degree burns you sustained and the wolf bite, you are making a miraculous recovery," Whale mentioned, as he made notes on his chart.

"Fine...when do I get released from this hell hole?" he asked. Whale glanced up at him.

"While you're well enough to be released, I'm afraid that you'll be under arrest when you are released. The Sheriff has been quite clear about that," the doctor mentioned, as he put his chart on the hook and left the room. Damon growled and struggled with the handcuff that attached him to the bed. He then picked up the phone on the bedside table and dialed a number.

"Get over here now. We need to talk," he said, before hanging up.

~*~

Mary hummed sweetly, as David kissed her deeply. Their skin was still cooling from a bout of slow, tender morning lovemaking.

"Oh David…" she sighed, sometimes still in awe of how incredibly happy he made her.

"I love you so much," he whispered with husk in his voice.

"I love you," she said, as they gazed into each other's eyes, before he glanced at the clock.

"I guess I better get up though. I promised Em I'd take early patrol today," he said.

"Mmm...I have to get up too. Stephanie and I are going Christmas shopping with Belle. She doesn't know what it's all about yet, but she's excited," Mary mentioned.

"I hope you have fun," he said.

"We'll be at Granny's for lunch though. Do you want to meet us?" she asked. He smiled.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll even drag Gold along," he agreed.

"Okay...you want the shower first?" she asked.

"I was thinking more along the lines of sharing it with you. Think about it...we'll save time," he said slyly. She giggled.

"I think you and I both know that's not going to save any time," she said, as she got up and pulled him along with her into the bathroom.

~*~

Flashback

Shortly before Leopold's death…

Leopold sat upon his Throne, pondering the book in his hand.

"I see you've had time to read the book," Cora cooed, as she slithered into the room.

"It matters not. Snow is still mine and Eva's daughter. She is the rightfulheir, regardless," he stated.

"Oh you know many might not feel that way if this scandal got out," Cora hissed. He frowned.

"You will tell no one of this story!" Leopold growled.

"Oh, your secret is safe with me, my dear King, that is if you do something for me," Cora replied.

"I will not be blackmailed by the likes of you," the King refuted. But she ignored his comment.

"There are visiting dignitaries traveling from Kingdom to Kingdom from the Southern Isles," she stated.

"I am King...I'm aware," he snapped.

"Word has it that King Francis' third eldest son is seeking a bride. He has heard of a Princess called the Fairest of Them All and will come to ask you for her hand. You will not refuse him," she said.

"I will not force my daughter to marry someone she does not choose! I promised her this. She is barely eighteen!" he cried.

"And a foolish promise it was to make. Sometimes we must do what's best for our children. I strongly encouraged Regina to marry you, if I recall," she reminded.

"Yes...and she is unhappy. I will not do this to my precious Snow," he responded.

"You will or the entire Kingdom will know that Snow White is the bastard daughter of Persephone and her lover. Then Hades will know and destroy her," Cora threatened.

"Either way, I will be rid of that little retch and she will never unseat my daughter as Queen," the evil woman added.

"I will not let you do this," Leopold protested.

"You married a woman three times your age. Snow will marry one two times her age. It's not uncommon among royalty as you well know. She'll be taught her place, just as you'll soon realize who is really in charge here," Cora hissed, as Leopold stormed out of the Throne room. Cora smirked, quite pleased with herself, as she picked up the book. Suddenly, it disappeared from her hands and into Rumpelstiltskin's.

"I think we both know what I do to people who steal from me, dearie," he hissed.

"Oh Rumple...I didn't steal it. I was only borrowing it to ensure my daughter's future on the Throne," she cooed.

"Except the fair Snow White becoming a child bride to some over the hill prince is not a part of my plan," he countered.

"Sorry Rumple, but it's already done," Cora said smugly.

"Undo it...erase the last conversation you just had from the King's memory now," Rumple demanded, as the King, frozen with magic, appeared in the room.

"And if I don't?" she challenged. He giggled shrilly.

"Then another kind of scandal will hit the Kingdom when I let it slip to the right person that you and Leopold were once engaged. Then you knowingly allowed your daughter to marry him thirty years later and he knowingly did so as well," he threatened.

"You wouldn't…" she hissed.

"In a heartbeat. And if you think Snow White being the daughter of Persephone is a juicy secret, yours and Leopold's torrid past will overshadow that quite completely. In fact, the people might even decide the daughter of a Goddess belongs on the Throne more than the King or your daughter, resulting in everything you worked for going up in smoke," he said in delight.

"Not to mention, that it will be back to exile for you and Henry," he added.

"Why do you care about Snow White?" Cora demanded to know.

"She's very important...as is your daughter, of course. But Snow White...she may be the key to everything," Rumple stated.

"That little brat stands in my daughter's way of being Queen!" Cora protested.

"If you do what you intend...I can promise you Regina will never be Queen. Snow White is central to everything I've worked for and if make me adjust my plans, then I can assure you, I will ruin everything you have worked for. However, if you do as I ask and recall that conversation from the King's memory...I can promise you that Regina will be Queen," he promised. And Cora knew him well enough to know that he had foreseen her daughter's path.

"Fine…" she agreed, as she waved her hand over the frozen King and extracted the wispy tendril from his mind, before poofing it away.

"Good choice, dearie. Until we meet again," Rumple hissed, as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Cora poofed away herself, leaving a befuddled Leopold behind.

~*~

Present Day

Storybrooke

Regina approached the Game of Thorns flower showed, owned by one Moe French, that morning. Today, she was about to strike back at her old mentor for what he had done. Taking him down a notch was only too easily done if she used his precious Belle to do so. This would set the destruction of the rest of them in motion as well and the only one getting what they wanted for Christmas would be her.

"Mr. French...I was hoping to speak with you about a very serious matter this morning," she said, as she stepped into his shop. The man looked startled by her presence for a moment, nary remembering an occasion when the Mayor herself had ever looked at him, much less spoke directly to him.

"Of course...Madam Mayor. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"We have a common goal, Mr. French and that is to get your daughter away from a very dangerous man," she replied, wasting no time.

"Mr. Gold…" he spat in distaste.

"Yes...and I need your help in seeing that he is outed for the monster he is," she implored.

"I would love nothing more, Madam Mayor, but Lacey will not listen to me. She refuses to leave him and insists that her name is Belle," he lamented.

"That is why we need to intervene...for Lacey's own good. She may fight us at first, but once Gold is out of her life, she'll come around without his influence. You'll see," Regina said.

"But how do we get her away from him?" he asked.

"I have it on good authority that your daughter and her friend Mary Margaret Blanchard will be out shopping in the square today. Before that, Miss Blanchard will be meeting your daughter at the library. I want you do detain them there," Regina said.

"You want me to hold them against their will?" he asked in disbelief.

"I care little about Miss Blanchard, but yes, you need to keep your daughter there. You'll have my full support and if you are truly serious about doing what is best for your daughter, then you will do this," she urged. He looked unsure and a little horrified, but nodded reluctantly. She smiled.

"Good...then if everything goes as planned, Mr. Gold will soon be exactly where he belongs...behind bars," Regina stated, as she stalked out of the shop, leaving a confused man behind.

"Belle?" Mary called, as she walked into the library that morning.

"Oh...in here, Mary!" she called, as the raven haired woman found the brunette on a step ladder, restocking some books.

"Ready for Christmas shopping?" Mary asked, bubbling with excitement. She couldn't ever remember having a friend to go shopping with before, let alone two friends, and she was beyond excited.

"I am...I read a ton of books all about Christmas yesterday," Belle mentioned.

"Good...now it's time to experience it for yourself," Mary said, noticing a battered, old book on the counter.

"What happened to this poor book?" Mary asked.

"I know...I hate when I find a book that's been so poorly cared for. I wanted to stock it, because it's a fantastical story, but I'm afraid it's too beat up. I was looking on the Internet though and they have places you can send books to and they do complete restorations. It's kind of pricy though," Belle mentioned.

"That's too bad...what was it about?" Mary asked curiously.

"Oh, you should definitely read it! It a Greek Myth...and kind of fairy tale too," Belle said.

"That's usually not two things you see mixed," Mary replied.

"I know, but it was about how the Goddess Persephone had a daughter named Snow White...but not with her husband Hades. So she had to send her daughter away to be raised by a King and Queen to protect her. To give her her best chance," Belle said, as those words struck a chord in Mary.

"Her best chance…" she muttered.

"Feel free to borrow it," Belle said, as she got her purse.

"Thanks...I think I will. Sounds interesting. I just finished my last book so I need something else to start," Mary replied, as she put the tattered book in her purse.

"Ready?" she asked. Belle nodded and they started for the door, but saw Moe French standing in their path.

"What are you doing here?" Belle asked curtly.

"Lacey...we need to talk," he said, glancing at the raven haired beauty with a glower.

"Alone," she added.

"Mary and I are going shopping. I have nothing to say to you that hasn't already been said," Belle replied.

"Lacey…" he protested.

"My name is Belle," she snapped.

"You're going to talk to me, Lacey," he said.

"No...I'm not," she retorted.

"Don't make me do this...please," he pleaded.

"Make you do what?" she asked in confusion and then gasped, as he pulled out a knife.

"What are you doing?!" Belle cried. Mary held her arm and slipped her hand into her pocket to get her phone. David wasn't far from the library and it wouldn't take him long to get there. But the gleam of the knife flashed before her eyes, before she could get a text done and Moe held the knife dangerously close to her.

"Give me the phone, Miss Blanchard. I know your boyfriend is the new deputy and I can't have you contacting him. I just want to talk to my daughter. Cooperate...and you won't get hurt," he snapped, almost sounding remorseful. Mary reluctantly handed her phone to him and he grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing to her?" Belle demanded to know.

"I can't have her running off to tell her boyfriend about this. Go...in the elevator," he ordered.

"What?" Mary asked in disbelief.

"No...don't do this!" Belle cried, as Mary backed away from the knife and onto the elevator. Moe used the hand crank to sent the elevator into the depths below the library.

"Please don't do this! Please stop! HELP!" Mary cried, as the darkness blinded her and she soon found herself in a pitch black cavern.

"HELP!" Mary cried, as she called up the elevator shaft. She felt around, but found no elevator controls at all. She tried to calm her panicked breathing and slowly stepped around in the darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she saw a peculiar thing as she moved further into the cavern. She put her hand to the dusty glass and found that the object resembled a glass covered coffin and of all the creepy things she imagined might be in the basement of the library, this wasn't one thing she expected. Suddenly, her head felt like it was on fire again, as images assaulted her subconscious.

She saw herself...with long hair, laying in the coffin much to her horror. And then there was David, dressed like a prince and he kissed her. Like magic, she awoke and he looked at her with happiness and love.

The vision ended then and she stumbled forward, feeling dizzy. She turned around and saw an incredibly large yellow eye staring at her. Mary screamed and then fainted, falling to the ground. The dragon sniffed her briefly and then paid her no mind, as she nuzzled her egg and then fell back into her slumber. The Dragon's brief awareness was stilled by the magic of curse that trapped her. It wasn't yet her time to awaken...

~*~

"How could you do that?! We have no idea what's down there!" Belle cried, as she feared for her friend.

"Lacey...we just need to talk. Then I'll bring her back up," Moe pleaded.

"I am not Lacey...you have to stop this!" she cried.

"You are! That monster has just brainwashed you!" Moe yelled.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Belle cried, as she held her head in her hands.

"You have to listen to me. I can get you away from him," Moe pleaded.

"So you can lock her up again…" Gold hissed, as he limped into the library.

"You! Stay away from my daughter!" Moe cried.

"Oh, I think we both know that I don't take orders from anyone, dearie, least of all you," Gold warned.

"He made Mary Margaret get into the elevator and lowered her down," Belle said.

"Yet I am being called the monster. The underground of the library connects to the old mining tunnels. It's pitch black down there," Gold said.

"Lacey...all I need is a few minutes to talk to you. I need to tell you what this man has done...who he really is. Once you hear that, you'll come home with me," Moe replied.

"What he's done? You're the one that just lowered my friend into a dark cave!" Belle exclaimed, as she shoved past him angrily, intending to call down to Mary Margaret and bring her back up.

"Mary!" she called down into the shaft, but there was no answer.

"Mary!" she called again, but nothing but deafening silence and she looked helplessly at Gold.

"I don't think you should go down there and if she needs help, I can't carry her with my leg, but I'll call David," he replied. Belle offered a smile and then glared at the man that was supposedly her father.

"Lacey...please…" he pleaded, as he grabbed her arm. She shrugged him away again.

"No…" she said. But he tried to take her arm again. This time, as she tried to get away, she lost her balance. And what happened next felt like slow motion to Gold, as Belle fell, hitting her head on the elevator controls on the way down. He stared in horror, as she lay unconscious, a bloodied cut on her forehead.

"Lacey…" Moe uttered.

"What...what have you done?!" Gold growled, as he began hitting the man with his cane until he was on the ground. The yelling and screaming must have been heard from outside, because David and Emma arrived momentarily. The former pulled Gold away, trying to get him to calm down, while Emma knelt beside Belle.

"She's breathing...I'll call a bus," she said, as she dialed 9-1-1.

"She fell...because of him!" Gold hissed.

"I want him arrested! He assaulted me! He tried to kill me!" Moe roared.

"Shut up...both of you!" Emma snapped, as she placed the call and then hung up.

"The ambulance is on its way," she said, as David looked around.

"Wait...wasn't Mary Margaret with Belle?" he asked.

"Ask him…" Gold sneered at the beaten man on the floor.

"That's right...tell Deputy Nolan what you did to his girlfriend and prepare for another beating," he added. David's blood ran cold.

"What is he talking about?" David asked.

"I...I just wanted to talk to Lacey alone. I made her get in the elevator. I was going to bring her back up, I swear!" he cried.

"What the hell?" Emma cried, as she opened the elevator shaft.

"Mary Margaret!" she cried, but again, there was no answer.

"Belle tried that, but she didn't answer then either. Then she fell and hit her head, because he tried to grab her!" Gold growled.

"Emma...you need to lower me down into that shaft," David said, as he let Gold free and got into the elevator.

"Be careful…" she pleaded, seeing the fear in her eyes.

"I will and I'll find her," he promised, as she lowered him down.

"What the hell is going on here?" Regina demanded to know, as she stormed in.

"You want to know what's going on? This guy pulled a knife on his own daughter and Mary Margaret," Emma snapped. Regina pursed her lips.

"Well, if she would just talk to him…" Regina started to say.

"Seriously?! He made Mary Margaret get in the elevator and lowered her underground and you're defending him? Guess I really shouldn't be surprised though," Emma snapped.

"Well since I don't see your wayward deputy, I'm sure he's hard at work finding her. He seems to be good at that," Regina commented. Emma glared at her and then glanced at Gold.

"Well...if I had to guess, I'd say your librarian didn't do all this damage to Mr. French. Sheriff, please place Mr. Gold under arrest," Regina ordered.

"Crossing me is a very big mistake, dearie," he hissed, but she only smirked.

"We'll see about that," she sneered back, as Emma reluctantly cuffed him, as Belle and Moe were taken in the ambulance to the hospital, just as Stephanie rushed in.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You're not going to believe this…" Emma replied, as she started to explain everything that happened.

~*~

The elevator hit the floor with a clunk and David opened the gate. He remembered the flashlight gadget on his phone that Emma had just shown him the other day and used it to light his path.

"Mary!" he cried, as he shined the light around and it landed on her crumpled form on the ground.

"Mary!" he exclaimed, as he rushed to her and lifted her into his arms. She whimpered, as he caressed her face and he gently kissed her lips. A kiss between them had always had the ability to wake either of them.

"Mmm...David…" she hummed and then her eyes flew open, as she threw her arms around him.

"Oh David…" she cried, as he hugged her tightly.

"My love...are you okay?" he asked, looking her over for injuries.

"I'm fine...I think," she said, trying to remember what had happened.

"What do you remember?" he asked.

"Belle's father came in...he kept calling her Lacey. She told him to leave, but he pulled a knife and then made me...get into the elevator shaft!" she recalled.

"And then…" she said, trying to remember what had happened then. It had to be something for her to go from the elevator shaft to unconscious on the ground in this cavern.

"Then?" he asked. Her brow furrowed, as she realized it was all blank after that.

"I don't remember. I must have blacked out," she realized. He kissed her tenderly.

"It's okay...let's get you out of here," he said, as he lifted her into his arms, carrying her bridal style.

"How embarrassing...leave it me to faint," she chided herself.

"Hey...coming down here in all this blackness had to be terrifying. You don't need to diminish that. Believe me, I'll be having a chat with Mr. French for sure," he said, as he carried her into the elevator shaft.

"EMMA! I found her!" he called.

"That's great. I'm bringing you up now!" she yelled down, as the elevator slowly started to ascend.

"You saved me again...this is getting to be quite a routine," she teased. He smiled and kissed her again.

"I'll always save you and I'll always find you," he promised.

"I will always find you,"

She heard his voice in her head saying those very words like an echo and stared at him with reverence.

"Though I will be okay with it if we stop getting ourselves into trouble," he joked and she collapsed into giggles. She wished she could remember why she fainted, but at the moment, it didn't matter. She was in his arms and that was everything she needed.


	21. Falsehoods

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 21: Falsehoods

"David...I really don't think this is necessary," Mary protested, as she sat in the exam room.

"We don't know that. I just want to make sure you didn't hit your head or something when you fainted," he replied. Stephanie smiled.

"He's right to be concerned, Mary," she agreed, as the raven haired beauty huffed and rolled her eyes. It made David take a stifled breath, as she looked exactly like their daughter in that moment. Whale made his entrance and was already exasperated.

"Sorry for the wait, but as you can imagine, I've been busy," Whale mentioned, as he looked at her chart.

"If you're not family, then you'll kindly leave while examine my patient," Whale said flippantly.

"David is my family and so is Stephanie. I want them here," Mary replied. The doctor sighed and was too tired to protest, as he conducted a physical.

"Well, despite fainting, you appear to be fine. I don't see any lesions or bruises so I think your fall was harmless. If you feel any pain or dizziness, you should come back immediately. Otherwise, I don't see a reason for you to stay," Whale said, as he scribbled on her chart, before leaving.

"See...I'm fine," she said. He chuckled and put his arm around her.

"Then how about dinner at Granny's? You're welcome to join us, Stephanie," he said. She smiled.

"That sounds wonderful," she agreed. Mary sighed.

"Maybe we can get to shopping tomorrow. Let's check on Belle too before we go," she suggested.

"Of course," he agreed, as they headed out.

~*~

The jail cell door closed with a chink and she sighed, as she dropped the file on his desk.

"I need to get out of here and see Belle," Gold growled.

"You know I can't let you go after you lost it on Mr. French," Emma replied.

"What about what he did?!" Gold spat.

"Believe me, I'll be bringing him in too after he's released from the hospital for pulling a knife on Mary Margaret and Belle," she said.

"You need to stop playing by the rules, Miss Swan, because I assure you Regina will not," he warned. She sighed.

"You know I have to. I may have been elected, but if I give her a legitimate reason, she can still fire me. Then we'll really be no where," she warned. Gold was silent, loathed to admit that she had a point.

"So...Moe French. He's Belle's father?" Emma asked.

"Of sorts, though he's not a model version of one, but then neither was I. We can't all be your father, I suppose," Gold mused.

"What did he do to her?" the blonde asked.

"It's a very long, sordid story. But suffice to say, he had a certain vision of who his daughter should be and Belle had other ideas. Back in our land, Lord Maurice sought to marry her off to Gaston, who in turn would provide his army to defeat the ogres that were terrorizing their land," he explained.

"Gaston...of course. Is he as terrible as the stories made him out to be?" Emma asked.

"More or less...Belle certainly didn't want to marry him so I stepped in and killed all the ogres," he replied. Emma smiled.

"So you saved her," she surmised.

"No...I don't do anything without charging a price and so I took her prisoner. She became my maid," he responded and Emma frowned.

"Oh…" she said awkwardly.

"We're not your parents, Miss Swan. It is not easy to love a monster. But somehow Belle managed," he added.

"Then something happened?" Emma questioned.

"I let her go and she didn't come back. The Queen told me she died," he answered.

"And you believed her?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"She told me her father locked her away and she died falling from the tower. Believe me, Lord Maurice wouldn't have been above doing so to keep us apart," he replied.

"You let her go…and she would have come back if she could. You're Rumpelstiltskin and the Beast," she realized. He rolled his eyes

"Yes...I am a beast, at least most think so," he agreed. She shrugged.

"My Dad doesn't think so. In fact, I'd say he considers you a friend, especially since you helped him," she retorted.  
"I helped him, because it served the purpose of breaking the curse faster," he refuted. She shrugged.

"I'm just saying that I know my Dad. I know he owes you for helping him keep Regina from giving him a fake life or some crap and I suppose I do too. I mean...I have my Dad while I'm awake for the first time in my life and it's amazing," she replied.

"What is your point, Miss Swan?" he asked impatiently.

"My point is that have you just thought about ever asking someone to help you, because you're a friend?" she asked.

"I am not someone that has friends as a rule," he refuted.

"But if you did...you know you could just ask for help, you know, without the whole deal and threats and stuff," she said. He was quiet for a moment.

"So...you're saying that if I ask your father for help, I don't need a deal or threat?" he asked.

"Pretty much. I know...crazy, right?" she joked.

"More than you know," he responded.

"I mean, he won't kill anyone for you or taking a sleeping curse for you, though he'd probably do that for Mom," she rambled.

"And what about you, Miss Swan?" he asked.

"Me?" she questioned.

"If I needed a favor in the future, would I need to make a deal or could I simply ask as you say?" he asked curiously.

"Ask and if I can help...I will," she agreed. He looked skeptical, as she returned to her desk to do the paperwork on today's debacle, leaving him with his thoughts.

~*~

Mary, David, and Stephanie waited outside Belle's room impatiently, as Whale conducted an exam.

"Why isn't she awake yet?" Mary fretted.

"That was a nasty bump she got. I'm sure she's going to be fine though," he promised, as Whale came out of the room.

"How is she?" Mary asked.

"She should make a full recovery, but she's sedated now so she can rest. I'm afraid she can't have any visitors until tomorrow," he said, as he left to continue his rounds. Mary's shoulders slumped, as she peered through the window.

"We'll come back first thing in the morning," David suggested. She nodded with a smile, as they started toward the elevator. But as they rounded the corner, they ran right into Damon, who was being pushed in a wheelchair by an orderly.

"Well...imagine running into the reason I'm here," he hissed, as David pulled Mary back.

"You did this to yourself, Mr. Tromera," Stephanie growled.

"I'm sorry...do I know you?" he asked, as his gaze swept over her

"No...but you hurt my friends. That's enough for me to know you're scum," she hissed back, as he held her in a scrutinizing gaze for a few moments, before his stare shifted to Mary Margaret. It was frightening and hungry, as usual and the raven haired beauty couldn't help but shudder. David's arms kept her from panicking completely.

"Ah...there you are Damon," a man's voice said and David's blood boiled, as he finally came face to face with King George or as he was known here, Albert Spencer, esteemed District Attorney. Damon smirked.

"Everything is taken care of," Spencer stated.

"Thank you, Mr. Spencer. I knew I could count on you," Damon goaded.

"What exactly did you take care of?" David questioned.

"I've been discharged from this place at last," Damon replied. David glowered at him.

"Then I guess you'll be walking straight into a jail cell," the prince said.

"That's where you're wrong, deputy," Spencer retorted and Damon's smirk widened.

"He attacked us...he tried to kill me and assaulted Mary. He was going to hurt her," David growled.

"David's right. He's been brought up on formal charges of attempted murder," Stephanie interjected.

"And assault," David added.

"Which is why he will stand trial for. Until then, a judge has granted his attorney's request for bail, which has been paid in full. Mr, Tromera is free to go until his trial begins next month," Spencer replied in a goading tone.

"He is a monster…" David growled.

"A jury will decide that, Deputy Nolan," Spencer responded.

"I'm sure I'll see you both around town," the monster said smugly, as his gaze lingered on Mary Margaret.

"Have a wonderful evening, Miss Blanchard," he leered, as he was pushed away by an orderly.

"Damn him…" Stephanie cursed, noticing Mary's near catatonic stare. David cupped her beautiful face in his hands.

"He's not going to get away with what he did," he promised

"I love you for saying that, but I think we both know how this will go. The jury is probably already bought and paid for. That's how this town works. Trust me, I've lived here long enough to know that," she said with hopelessness in her tone.

"We will still fight him," David insisted, as he hugged her close and she clung to him for dear life.

"Maybe you should take her home. I'll get take out from Granny's and bring it to the loft," Stephanie suggested. David nodded.

"That sounds like a good idea. Thanks," he replied

~*~

Emma arrived at the hospital and found Dr. Whale, making his rounds.

"Sheriff," he greeted at the nurse's desk.

"How are Belle and Mr. French?" she asked.

"You know, I'm not at liberty to discuss my patients with non-familial persons," he responded.

"Mr. French pulled a knife on Belle and Mary Margaret. He also lowered Mary into the cavern beneath the library against her will. I need to know his condition, so I know when I can arrest him," Emma replied. Whale sighed.

"His injuries are mostly superficial. He's been treated and patched up. I'm keeping him overnight, but barring no complications, I should be able to release him in the morning," he reported.

"Can I see him?" she asked.

"Yes, but try not to agitate him. He is still my patient," Whale warned.

"I'll do my best," Emma replied, as she slipped quietly into the room, seeing that he was awake.

"Mr. French...I need to ask you a couple of questions," she stated. He nodded.

"You pulled a knife of Belle and Mary Margaret. Usually people like you don't randomly go around doing things like that," she said.

"People like me?" he asked.

"Upstanding business owners with no criminal record whatsoever. You've never even had a parking ticket so you pulling a knife on two unarmed women is more than a little strange," she replied.

"What are you asking me, Sheriff?" he questioned.

"Did someone put you up to this?" she asked. Moe opened his mouth, but they were interrupted by another voice.

"Not another word, Mr. French," the man said, as he came into the room.

"Who are you?" Emma asked.

"Mitchell Herman...Mr. French's attorney," he replied. Emma raised an eyebrow, as another man slipped into the room.

She had to clamp down her emotions at this one. She knew who this was, even without ever having actually seen him. This man was as bad as Regina, maybe worse in some ways. King George...or District Attorney Albert Spencer. The man that forced her mother to break her father's heart. The man that had threatened to kill her grandmother if her father didn't enter into an arranged marriage. The man that had cursed her mother to be barren, resulting in her grandmother giving up her life just so Emma could exist.

"I took the liberty of seeing that Mr. French has proper representation," Spencer said.

"Which means this interview is over, Sheriff," Mitchell added.

"Mr. French is going to be brought up on charges," Emma interjected.

"And I'm dismissing those charges," Spencer retorted.

"You can't do that," Emma spat.

"Oh...I assure you I can, Sheriff Swan. This was a simple misunderstanding and mistakes were made by a distraught father, who was then beaten senseless," Spencer said.

"So Regina snaps her fingers and her lap dogs jump into action," Emma accused.

"Watch your tongue, Miss Swan," Albert snapped.

"Sheriff Swan," she corrected.

"And if I don't, you'll what? You'll work me over and then have your precious Mayor sweep your misdeeds under the rug? Because we both know that's exactly what she's going to try to do with Damon Tromera. Well, I hope you're ready for one hell of a fight," Emma growled, as she stormed out of the room.

~*~

The Dreamscape

When Emma arrived in the dreamscape that night, she was unsurprised to see her parents dancing in the meadow. Carefree, with love glowing in their eyes. Sometimes, it still gave Emma pause to see them like this. It was still difficult to believe at times that she had come from a love like this...one so powerful. In the world she grew up in when she was awake, this kind of love just didn't exist. She loved seeing them like this, unburdened by the Queen's evil and the complications of the curse. She had remained vague on what was going on in town. She wanted it that way. She didn't want them to remember their lives when they were awake, not yet anyway. They likely soon would once the curse was the curse was broken and she still had a lot of work to do. But coming here, being with them like this, made her task seem less daunting.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you, my darling?" he asked, as he picked her up and spun her around.

"You have...but I never tire of hearing it, though when you serenade me with your gorgeous voice, you really outdo yourself," she mentioned fondly.

"I love singing to you," he agreed.

"And I love when you do, though I could never doubt your love, even without words or song. The way you look at me, the way you hold me, the way you kiss me; itspeaks volumes in a way words cannot. I just hope I am as good at expressing my love for you as you are to me," she replied. He smiled.

"You are," he assured, as their lips met with tender passion. Emma shook her head, knowing she better interrupt this or she would be seeing things a daughter should never see. She walked closer and they sensed her, as their lips parted.

"Emma!" Snow called, as they enveloped her in their embrace. And her father cradled her head.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, as she cupped her daughter's face with both hands. Emma smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"It's fine," she replied.

"Princess...you can tell us, you know. We can handle it," he assured.

"I know...I just...this place is like a sanctuary," she lamented.

"It is...and nothing can sully that. We can't be there for you in the right capacity when we're awake, so please let us be here for you now," Snow pleaded.

"Well, without going into too many details, I was unfortunate enough to finally meet King George," she revealed. She saw her mother's expression tighten and something flash behind her father's eyes.

"Did he do something to hurt you?" Charming asked, trying to keep his voice as even as possible.

"No...he just happens to be in a position of power, like Regina. He's kind of in charge of the justice system so to speak," Emma explained vaguely.

"Which means there will be injustice with him in any position of power," Charming surmised.

"Yeah...but I'm going to handle it," she promised.

"We know you will. You're so strong, honey," Snow gushed and hugged her tightly.

"It's not hard to see where Henry gets his hopeful nature," Emma replied. And her parents beamed at the mention of the grandchild they were eager to meet.

~*~

Early the next morning, Regina strode down the mostly deserted corridors of the hospital. It was well before visitation hours, but no one would dare stop her or question her. She found the right room and slipped inside.

Belle stirred and was slightly startled when she saw the Mayor in her room.

"Madam Mayor…" she stammered, as she tried to sit up a little more.

"Oh don't fuss, dear. I just came to see how you were doing after that ordeal yesterday," Regina purred.

"I'm...I'm fine," she managed to say.

"Is...Mary Margaret okay?" Belle asked.

"Oh yes...Deputy Nolan made sure of that," Regina replied with disdain.

"Now I have a question for you," Regina cooed. Belle swallowed.

"What it is?" she asked.

"Do you recognize this?" she asked, as she showed her the matchbook.

"No...I don't think so," Belle said, as her head felt funny.

"Look again," Regina urged, as Belle did so and the tingling in her head intensified.

~*~

Slowly Mary became aware of other sensations than the overwhelming pleasure that had been everything just moments ago. Their cooling skin, his enticing scent, how right it felt to be in his arms, the softness of the mattress beneath her, sunlight peeking through the curtains, and birds chirping happily. But they weren't as happy as she was.

She had woke up in the best way possible. After they loved so passionately last night, she was a little surprised he had any energy left to make love to her this morning, but she probably shouldn't have been. She smiled and opened her eyes. He smiled down at her, mesmerized by her beauty. He was always mesmerized by her, but when she was like this, sated, with mussed hair and swollen lips from his kiss, she had a glow about her that was especially entrancing.

"You're so beautiful…" he uttered reverently, as his kissed her throat.

"I'm a mess," she protested.

"A radiant mess then," he muttered, as he nibbled on her ear, giving her chills. That's when they heard Wilby whine at the door. She giggled.

"He has the worst timing," he said.

"You take Wilby out and then when you get back, you can join me in the shower," she tempted.

"Mmm...deal," he hummed, as he kissed her lips. It was then her turn to admire, as she got the enjoyable pleasure of watching him get up and walk around the small enclosed space naked, as he found his clothes. He leaned down and pecked her on the lips, after he threw his clothes on and then hurried out the door with Wilby. She smiled dreamily and then sauntered into the bathroom.

~*~

Emma unlocked Gold's cell that morning.

"Your bail posted and surprisingly, Spencer didn't fight it," she mentioned, as he hobbled out of the jail cell.

"That's because there was a bonus in it for him and if there is one person, Albert Spencer is more afraid to cross than Regina...it's me," he said.

"Okay...I'm gonna just pretend I didn't hear you say you basically paid him off," she replied.

"You can't play by the rules in this town, Miss Swan," he warned again, as he got his coat.

"I need to get to the hospital," he said.

"I know...I called Jefferson. He should be here any minute," she replied, as he looked at her, slightly taken aback. Even after their conversation the previous day, he wasn't used to people helping him without wanting something in return.

"Whale told me she's okay. He wouldn't let David or Mary see her last night, but they were going to visit her this morning," Emma added. Having friends was an odd thing for him and not entirely comfortable. But he wasn't ungrateful either. He simply nodded, as Jefferson arrived.

~*~

"How is she?" Mary asked, as Whale came out of Belle's room that morning.

"Physically, she's fine. I should be releasing her later today," he responded.

"Is something else wrong?" David asked.

"Well...it seems the bump to her head has brought back some memories. Belle is saying now she's Lacey French. You can see her, but I'm not sure she's going to know who you are," Whale replied, as he left to continue his rounds. Mary was stunned and looked to David.

"She got her memories back...that's good," she said. He gave her an encouraging nod.

"You're still friends. You can explain that to her," he encouraged. But he had a sinking feeling, as they went into the room.

Whatever memories she had now weren't real and that meant Regina had gotten to her.

"Belle…" Mary called and the woman in the bed looked up sharply.

"I mean Lacey…" she corrected herself.

"I'm sorry...you are?" she asked shortly.

"Um...I'm Mary Margaret and this is David. We're your friends," she said. She scoffed.

"Yeah...somehow I doubt that. You two don't exactly look like the type of people I hang out with," she retorted. Mary frowned.

"I know you don't remember...but we were," she insisted.

"And now we're not. Whoever this Belle was...it's not me. It's the person I was without memories. But now I have my real memories back. You see, Lacey hangs out in bars and by the looks of you, I'd say you've probably never even been to one," she said, taking in Mary's conservative clothing.

"I've...maybe not, but we did have a lot of fun talking about books and you helped me and my students plant a garden at the school," Mary reminded, as David put his hands on her arms. His heart was already breaking for her.

"Books? Gardening? Ugh...it's worse than I thought. Are you sure you're not Mary Poppins?" she scoffed.

"But…" Mary started to say.

"Listen sweet cheeks, I'm not this Belle that you keep on about anymore. I'm Lacey. I drink too much, I sleep around, I shoot pool, and I party. Trust me...we're not friends," she hissed.

"You don't have be cruel," David told her, as he put his arm around Mary.

"Hmm...you're cute as hell, but too boyscout for me probably. Let me know if you get bored with rainbow kisses here. I could show you a good time," she purred. But he ignored her and led Mary toward the door.

"Come on...let's go," he told her, as he planted a kiss on her hair and led her out of the room.

"David...what happened to her? How could she be so different? Just like that?" Mary asked dejectedly.

"I...I don't know, my love. I'm sure she's just confused right now," he replied, as he saw Gold and Jefferson approaching. He knew this was going to be ugly for Gold too.

"How is she?" Jefferson asked.

"Physically, she's fine, but…" David said. But he was cut off.

"I need to see her," Gold interrupted.

"Gold...wait!" he warned, but the pawnbroker ignored him.

"What's going on?" Jefferson asked. David sighed.

"Hey...I'm going to get us some coffee. I'll be right back," he promised, as he kissed her tenderly. She nodded.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she replied, finding comfort in him, as he walked down the hall with Jefferson.

"She did it, didn't she?" he asked.

"I think so," David replied.

"Regina got her," the hatter said.

"And gave her false memories," the prince confirmed.

Regina had struck back and somehow, they knew the Queen wasn't done...


	22. Suspicious Minds

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 22: Suspicious Minds

Gold entered the hospital room and looked at the woman in the bed, instantly noticing there was something different in her eyes. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut, but then she opened her mouth.

"Who are you?" she asked in disdain.

"I...I am Mr. Gold," he stammered. It wasn't often that he of all people was caught off guard and he did not like it when it happened. She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you another supposed friend?" she asked.

"You could say that," he replied. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, if you're here to tell me all about the fun things we did when I was Belle, then save it. I've got my real memories back now," she stated. Rage burned inside him, as he thought about how to make the Queen pay for this.

"Belle…" he started to say.

"Lacey...my name is Lacey," she corrected.

"If you'll just hear me out...I can explain all of this," he pleaded. She gave him a strange look.

"Explain what? How we were shacking up together when you were convincing me I was this Belle?" she asked.

"It wasn't like that...I found you in the psychiatric ward of the hospital," he tried to explain.

"You...get away from my Lacey," Moe French said, as he hobbled into her room.

"You're the reason she's here at all. You did this," Gold hissed.

"Belle...this is the man that put you in the psych ward. He's the reason you ended up back here," he explained.

"Lacey...my name is Lacey," she corrected.

"Lacey dear...you remember," Moe said with relief in his voice. But that relief would be short lived.

"Oh I remember...he's definitely right about the fact that I'm here because if you," she hissed. "Lacey…" he pleaded.

"You had me committed!" She growled.

"Sweetheart, it was for your own good. You were quite disturbed. I was trying to protect you," he tied to explain. She laughed coldly.

"Protect me? By locking me away like a mental patient? Well, I won't be controlled by you again father, so kindly get the hell out," she spat.

"But…" he started to say

"GET OUT!" She screamed, as he stumbled out of the room. And she glared at Gold.

"Belle…" he pleaded.

"I'm not Belle and whatever little fantasy you were living with her is over. Get out," she spat. Tears stung in his eyes.

"Get out!" She demanded and he did as she asked. By the time he left the room, his tears were replaced with barely contained rage.

"Gold…" David started to say.

"Regina is going to pay…" he hissed.

"She is. We won't let her win," David agreed.

"We?" Gold questioned.

"We're friends and you don't have to go through this alone," David replied.

"I don't need friends," he refuted, as he turned away.

"Don't do this...pushing us away is exactly what Regina wants you to do," Jefferson warned.

"He's right. Divide and conquer, if we let her. But she won't win in the end if we stick together," David added.

"Plus if anyone can help you romance Belle back to you...you should look no further than Prince Charmz here," Jefferson said, as David cast him a sideways glance. Gold sighed.

"I know this is bad. I mean, Damon is walking free and now Belle has curse memories. Sticking together is the only way we stand a chance now," David implored. And as much as it was Gold's first reaction to shun everyone around him in his anger, he knew the Prince and the Hatter were right. Separated, Regina could easily pick them off one by one. But if Emma was going to break the curse, sooner rather than later, it was going to take a united front. Working with people just still wasn't his forte, but he would do anything to get Belle back and that meant getting the curse broken.

"Though I loathe to admit it, you're probably right. We all want the same thing and that is for Regina to pay," Gold stated.

"And Damon...him walking free is an outrage," David growled.

"Well, if you weren't so keen on being all noble and heroic, we could stage a little accident for him," Jefferson suggested. The Prince sighed.

"You know I can't do that...as much as he might deserve it," David said.

"So you're going to let him go after Mary again? Because you know he's going to," Jefferson replied.

"No...I'll stop him. He touches her again and I'll put a bullet in him," David promised.

"Now we're talking," the hatter agreed.

"I'm going to take Mary home...she's pretty upset," he said, as he turned back and put his arm around her, as she sat in a chair outside Belle's room.

"Hey...you wanna go home?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Maybe a walk and then Granny's instead?" she asked. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Of course...that sounds great," he agreed, as he took her hand and they left.

~*~

Emma leaned against the bug, which was parked outside Regina's house. Fortunately, the Mayor was at work, so she had come to spend a few moments with Henry since the town was quiet for the moment. She leafed through the book, smiling gently, as she saw her parents story play out before her.

"I don't know, kid. It sure feels like the villains have the upper hand right now. I mean, I may be Sheriff, but I couldn't even keep a guy like Damon in jail after all he did. Just seems like the curse has stacked the deck against the heroes," she mentioned.

"Of course it has...that's how a story always goes. It always gets worse, before it gets better," Henry replied.

"That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, you know," she chided.

"I just mean that it always seemed really bad before the hero figures out how to save the day," Henry said.

"Isn't that mostly in comic books and stuff?" she asked. Henry rolled his eyes and her eyes widened, as she saw herself in him at that moment.

"No...looks at Grams and Gramps' story. Snow White was trapped in a sleeping curse. And Prince Charming had to face a dragon and travel through the infinite forest to find her and give her true love's kiss!" he said, gesturing grandly.

"And I get that kid, but we're dealing with a place without magic this time. I mean...this is the place that's supposed to have no happy endings. As much progress as we've made on that, there is still a long way to go and a lot of unhappy people," she replied. His shoulders sunk and she hugged him.

"But we'll get there...I promise," he said. He smiled up at her.

"I gotta get to the station. Behave yourself kid," she said, as she got in the bug.

"No promises," he joked. As the bug sped away, Henry was about to go back inside when he heard an engine roar and saw a motorcycle come around the corner. Curiously, the rider slowed and parked in front of the house, before removing his helmet. Henry hadn't ever seen this person before and stepped back slightly, as the stranger approached.

"Hi," the man greeted.

"Um...I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Henry said. The man smirked.

"Yeah, because you look like a kid that always does what he's told," the man joked, as he held out his hand.

"I'm August W. Booth," he said, as Henry shook his hand.

"I'm Henry Mills," the boy replied.

"Now we're not strangers anymore. Do you know if there's an inn or motel around here?" he asked. Henry frowned.

"You're not from around here?" the boy asked.

"No...I've been traveling and writing my book," he replied. Henry was stunned. No one came to Storybrooke, not until Emma anyway. Come to think of it, Ms. Kore came from outside Storybrooke too, but that always slipped his mind, because she seemed to be so friendly, especially to Ms. Blanchard. But now if there was another stranger...it had to mean something. Was the curse weakening or did this stranger know more than he was letting on? Did Ms. Kore know more than she was letting on?

"Uh Granny's...she has a diner and an Inn on Main," he replied.

"Thanks kid," he replied, as he drove off. He knew his Mom told him he had to stay home, but he grabbed his backpack instead and ran off to find Emma.

~*~

After a walk and coming to the diner for breakfast and hot chocolate, David kissed her goodbye and went to the station for his shift, while she stayed behind. To take her mind off the situation with Belle, she was reading the book she had given her before the whole situation at the library happened. She found the book very intriguing. She had never read a version of Persephone's story like this one before and certainly not where her daughter happened to be Princess Snow White. She had never really seen a well known fairy tale woven into a Greek Myth before and wondered how such a unique story wasn't well known or widely mass produced.

"Can I get you a refill?" a voice asked and Mary looked up to see a blonde waitress, who was quite heavily pregnant.

"Oh...sure, that would be great," Mary replied, wondering what a girl that far along was doing carrying heavy trays full of food. Mary also felt a spark of envy in her as well. That wasn't unusual for her either though, for it was no secret that she loved children. Seeing babies used to make her feel hopeless, for she thought she'd never have that possibility. But now that she was with David...that possibility didn't seem so farfetched anymore.

She was about to ask the girl if she needed any help with all the trays when she was summoned to the Mayor's table.

"Waitress...waitress…" Regina hissed, as Mary craned her neck to see her sharing lunch with Kathryn, giving her a sour feeling. There was no doubt that Regina was making up more lies about her and David to spout to Kathryn. Most people were happy for her and David, but there was a certain circle that bought into Regina's lies and were convinced that she was some sort of tramp that had prevented him from the possibility of reuniting with his ex-wife. For this group of people, it was all about status and appearance.

"I asked for a salad with dressing on the side. This salad is drenched in dressing!" Regina complained.

"Oh...I'm so sorry, Madam Mayor…" Ashley fretted, as she picked up the plate and put it on her tray.

"And Kathryn is still waiting for a refill on her drink," Regina continued to berate her.

"I'll get that right away, I promise," she stammered, as she turned to take the trays into the back. But unfortunately did not see the chair that had been pushed into the aisle and stumbled, sending her trays, glasses and plates everywhere. At that point, Ashley looked like she was going to burst into tears and struggled to get down to clean it up. Mary hurried over and started helping her.

"Honey...are you okay?" she asked. Ashley sniffed.

"I'm fine...you don't have to do that," she replied. Mary smiled gently at her.

"I don't mind at all. I'm Mary Margaret," she said. The blonde sniffed.

"Ashley…" she replied.

"Well...look at that, tramps do stick together. Come along Kathryn, I think we can have lunch at the cafe down the road. It's has a bit classier fare and no harlots on their knees," Regina hissed. Kathryn looked a bit uncomfortable by Regina's outright cruelty, but went along with her. Mary helped her get up, as Ruby came over to help.

"I'm so sorry Ruby," Ashley sniffed.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. When Regina decides she's going to be a bitch, there was nothing you could have done to prevent her from doing it," Ruby said, as she sent her to the back to take a break, while Mary kept helping.

"Thanks...I got it if you want," Ruby said. Mary smiled.

"I don't mind," the raven haired beauty replied.

"I checked the ticket...she put the order in right and Regina poured the dressing on herself," Ruby blurted out. Mary looked up.

"Wow...that's cruel even for Regina," Mary mentioned.

"Yeah, well Ashley is eighteen and pregnant out of wedlock. Her boyfriend dumped her when he found out, because his Dad doesn't approve," Ruby gossiped.

"That's terrible...guess I get the tramp comment now. I mean...we know she thinks I'm a tramp," Mary replied. Ruby snorted.

"Well, you're in good company and you're not a tramp. If the closed minded idiots in this town think David should still be with a woman he doesn't even know or love, then they're crazy," she said. Mary smiled.

"Thanks…" she replied.

"So...how does that work, you and David?" she asked.

"What?" Mary asked.

"I mean...for a while, it totally worked for me to, you know, just be unattached and have one night stands. But lately...I don't know, I see you and David together and it makes me feel like maybe I want something special," Ruby replied. Mary smiled.

"What David and I have is...wonderful. It's beyond wonderful. I never thought I'd find anyone, let alone my prince charming. I have no doubt that you'll find someone too...but I do know that you probably won't find them in a one night stand," she advised. Ruby smirked.

"Yeah...be thankful you dodged the Whale bullet," she muttered. Mary's eyes widened.

"You and Whale?" she asked. She nodded.

"For a guy who proclaims himself as such a lady's man, you'd think he'd be better at it," Ruby complained. Mary covered her mouth, as she choked in surprise.

"Oh...well that's something I so needed to know," she said. Ruby giggled.

"Sorry...sometimes I over share," she replied.

"So...um since we're on the subject…" she added, wriggling her eyebrows. Mary opened her mouth and looked at the other woman in disbelief, as they carried the broken dishware into the back.

"Ruby...I am not telling you about my love life," she protested. Ruby laughed.

"Yeah, you don't have to. Your face says it all," she teased.

"Ruby…" she protested.

"Yep...you're getting some good lovin' from deputy Nolan," she teased, as she grabbed the mop.

"Ruby!" she chided.

"Okay, okay...I'll stop," she said.

"And if you must know, I would use the word incredible," Mary replied, with a sly smile, as she returned to her seat.

"I knew it...it's always the quiet ones," she muttered.

~*~

Emma arrived at the station to find her father doing paperwork, which she greatly appreciated.

"You know, you don't have to do all the paperwork," she teased. He smiled.

"I know how much you hate it and I really don't mind. It keeps my mind busy and off the fact that Damon Tromera is walking free right now," he replied. She snorted.

"I know what you mean...I'd give anything to be able to storm his sleazy club and arrest him for good. Screw a trial," she grumbled.

"We'll get there, Em. We may have to play by this world's rules for now, but you will break the curse and he will be locked up," he insisted.

"You sound like Henry. He somehow stays confident that I can still break the curse," she mentioned. He smiled.

"You will break it...I know it. Listen to the kid," he advised.

"I know...it just feels like in past two days, we've taken more than a few steps backwards. Albert Spencer has more power than any D.A. I've ever seen. He may as well be judge, jury, and executioner. Regina does whatever the hell she wants and gets away with it. And Belle…" she started to say.

"I know...I know it seems bad. It's hard for me too. As much as I've fallen for your mother as Mary Margaret all over again, I miss her as Snow. We're going to get there though," he assured.

"I know...guess I inherited her impatience though," she mused. He smiled warmly.

"You did for sure," he agreed, as Henry came hurrying in.

"Gramps...Emma…" he huffed and puffed.

"Whoa kid, hold up. Where's the fire?" David asked, as he hooked his arm around the kid's waist and sat up up on his desk.

"There's another stranger in town!" Henry cried.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"A guy on a motorcycle rode into town and asked me if there was a place he could get a room. He came from outside Storybrooke, just like you and Ms. Kore!" Henry cried.

"Wait...Ms. Kore is from outside Storybrooke?" Emma asked.

"She told Mary that she came here from Boston. Are we sure people can't just stumble into town now?" he asked.

"He's got a point, kid. Maybe I messed up something at the town line when I came to town. The curse is getting weaker," Emma replied.

"Maybe...but this place isn't on a map. You kind of have to know exactly where it is to get here," Henry said.

"He's got a point too. I didn't really think much of Stephanie's presence here in town. She seems so fond of your mother and vice-versa. But maybe it's time I ask her a few questions," David replied.

"Not a bad idea. And this other guy...you said he was looking for a room?" Emma asked. Henry nodded.

"Yeah, I told him Granny runs an inn," he replied.

"Your mother's at Granny's too. I think Stephanie was meeting her there later," David said.

"Well, looks like we're all going to Granny's," Emma replied.

~*~

Jefferson watched Grace play at the park through his telescope with a longing stare. He was no closer to getting her back and was starting to wonder if the Savior really could defeat the Queen. She certainly had the deck stacked against her and it was only a matter of time before Regina would strike again. His first instinct was to beg or even threaten Emma to get his hat to work again. Then he could grab Grace and leave this accursed place behind. But he knew he couldn't do that to her.

Before meeting David, he might have thrown caution to the wind and tried to carry out such a plan. But he knew deep down, it would cause his daughter unnecessary trauma. She didn't know him as she was now and he would only scare her if he tried to take her away now. He had watched the Prince be a father to a twenty-eight year old woman, who was very much torn between the person she was born to be and the one she had grown up as in this land with no magic. He had a gentle patience that Jefferson so wished he could easily have. He was trying though. Letting the curse play itself out though was getting harder and harder, especially since it seemed the Queen's gloves had come off almost completely. He was better around people, he had found, which was surprising. Being around the Charmings somehow kept his madness at a tolerable level. He had once found it hard to believe that one family might be the key to undoing all Regina's misery she had wrought. But it was less and less unbelievable the more time he spent with them.

As Jefferson surveyed the town, he saw David and Emma with the kid, striding purposefully toward Granny's and was intrigued, especially after he had spied a stranger on a motorcycle go there earlier. Perhaps a trip to Granny's was in order for him as well.

~*~

"Hey," Mary smiled brightly, as she saw them come into the diner.

"Hey yourself, beautiful," David said, as he slid into the booth beside her and their lips met tenderly. Mary sighed and felt herself melting into him, as he put his arm around her waist.

"So...hot chocolate with cinnamon for you too, Prince Charming?" Ruby asked. He was slightly startled when she called him that and their lips parted, as he looked up.

"Yeah...that would be fine," he replied and he saw Mary wince.

"Sorry...I kind of called you my prince charming when we were talking early. Is that weird?" she asked. But he only smiled gently.

"Not at all. I only hope I can keep living up to such a title for you," he replied. She smiled and kissed him again.

"I don't see that being a problem," she answered, as she tucked her book away.

"Good book?" he asked.

"It is. I'm almost finished with it. You really should read it when I'm done," she replied, as they kissed again.

"Oh...there's Sister Astrid. I need to talk to her about this year's Miner's Day celebration," Mary said, as he let her out of the booth, just as Stephanie came into the diner.

"Hello David," she stated.

"Stephanie...I'm glad you're here. I have a few questions for you," he said. She smiled and slid into the booth across from him.

"I knew you soon would," she replied.

"Then you know what I'm about to ask you?" he questioned. She nodded.

"Who am I? How did I get here? What is my interest in Mary?" she asked for him.

"Okay...then anything you'd care to share?" he asked in return. She smiled.

"You have nothing to fear from me. I'm here to protect, not just Mary, but her entire family," she replied and his eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" he asked. She smiled.

"Read that book Mary is reading and then you'll know everything," she replied, as she got up and went to talk to Mary. He watched her go and then looked at the old, beat up leather book with scrutiny. What could this have to do with Stephanie and his wife? He wondered that, as he opened the book and began to look through it...


	23. Secrets

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 23: Secrets

"Sister Astrid…" Mary said, as she approached her, as she sat at the counter, nursing a cup of coffee.

"Oh...hello Mary Margaret," she greeted in a depressed tone.

"Is something wrong?" Mary asked.

"Not really...just the usual, which is that I'm a complete airhead," she replied.

"No...why would you say that?" Mary asked, as she sat down beside her.

"I am...you won't believe what I did," Astrid fretted.

"I'm sure it's not that bad, whatever it was," Mary soothed.

"When I was ordering the helium for the Miner's Day celebration, I accidentally added an extra zero to the quantity and now we have no money for rent, because I blew it on helium we don't need," she sniffed.

"Oh...well, I'm sure there is a way to come up with the money," Mary said.

"I don't think so. Mother Superior was livid with me. The convent could be shut down, because of my blunder," Astrid replied.

"What about your candles? You sell them every year! They could help you raise the rent money," Mary suggested. Astrid scoffed.

"I sold ten candles last year and you bought half of those," she replied.

"Oh...well, let me help you sell them this year," Mary replied.

"I can't ask you to do that," Astrid said.

"I want to...and I'm sure Stephanie will help too! Please...let us help," Mary pleaded. Astrid looked truly touched.

"Okay...if you really want to," she relented, as she turned away and accidentally spilled her coffee all over Leroy.

"Oh...I'm so sorry! I'm so clumsy!" she cried. Leroy was about to lay into her, until he looked up and got a dreamy look on his face.

"It's...it's no big deal. No worries," he said gruffly, as she started trying to clean him off. Mary smiled, as she watched the exchange and helped mop up the counter with napkins.

"I'm such a mess," Astrid fretted, but Mary squeezed her shoulder.

"He doesn't seem mad at all and we'll get that money, you'll see," Mary said, as she carried one of the boxes back to her table.

"It's a good book, isn't it?" she asked her love, as she saw him reading it. He looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Are you okay, baby?" she asked and he quickly smiled.

"Yeah...I'm fine. You're right, it's a good book," he agreed, as he saw the box.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Oh...well sister Astrid needs to raise the convent's rent money to fix a mistake so I offered to help her sell them," she replied. He smiled and kissed her tenderly.

"That's very sweet of you," he said, as he pulled out his wallet and gave her money for one of the candles.

"Honey, they're only five dollars," she said, as she looked at the twenty, but he only kissed her in response.

"Keep it…" he said, as he got the box for her.

"Ready to go home?" he asked, as he tucked the book in his jacket pocket. She bit her bottom lip and hooked her hand on his elbow.

"More than ready, handsome," she purred, as they left the diner for the loft.

~*~

"Here it is! This is his bike!" Henry called, as Emma glanced at the license plate. It was a Maine license plate, but somehow she didn't quite believe he was a resident of this state.

"What do you think is in the box?" Henry asked, as he moved to touch it.

"Kid...we can't just go snooping and touching someone else's property without cause," she chided, as he pulled his hand away.

"Yeah...besides, you could just ask and I might tell you," a voice said, as they turned to find the rider of the motorcycle before them with an amused look.

"Uh...hi. I'm Sheriff Swan...and I guess you've met Henry," she said.

"Have I done something illegal, Sheriff?" he asked coyly. She smiled.

"No...I'm Emma and my kid is just really curious about new people. We don't get a lot of strangers in town," she mentioned.

"Nice to meet you, Emma. I'm August W. Booth," he introduced himself, as they shook hands.

"What's the W stand for?" she asked.

"Wayne," Henry answered and August chuckled.

"Kid has a good memory," he mentioned.

"Oh trust me, he never forgets anything," Emma added.

"So...what's in the box?" Henry asked.

"What do you think is in the box?" August asked. The boy shrugged and he chuckled, as he opened it, revealing a typewriter.

"Whoa...that thing is ancient," Emma commented.

"Hey…" August said in offense and she smirked.

"Sorry...but you do know this is the twenty-first century, right? They have laptops now," she mentioned.

"Oh yeah, because this town looks like it's the modern center of the east coast," he countered.

"Don't get my started on how this place is stuck in 1983," she joked, as there was an awkward pause and Henry looked between them.

"So...how did you find the town?" Henry asked bluntly.

"Kid…" she scolded, as she nudged him, but August only chuckled.

"Yeah, this place is a bit out of the way, so to speak," he mentioned and Emma gave him a scrutinizing gaze. She couldn't get a clear read on this guy, but her superpower was telling her he was definitely hiding something.

"So...you're a writer?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yep...just traveling up the coast looking for a good story," he replied.

"Yeah, well I'm not sure there's anything here like that," she deferred.

"Oh I don't know...good stories are usually in the places you least expect them," he replied.

"Does Granny's have good food?" he asked. She shrugged.

"The onion rings are pretty great," Emma replied. He nodded.

"Great...onion rings. I'll have to try them," he said, as he unhooked the case that held his typewriter.

"It was nice to meet you both. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around," he said, as he walked away toward the diner.

"Who do you think he is?" Henry asked.

"I don't know...but I think I'm more interested in what he might want...or what he knows," Emma replied, as she watched him go.

~*~

For a few short hours, David forgot about what he was reading in the old, leather bound book and lost himself in Mary. He wasn't exaggerating to his daughter earlier when he said he had fallen in love with her all over again as Mary, because he had. Never had he thought he could ever love Snow more than he already did. But meeting Mary, who was Snow, but not quite, was a unique experience. And he fell hard all over again. He loved being Mary's Prince Charming as much as he loved being Snow's.

Making love to Mary was like making love to Snow, though Mary had been much more timid and shy at first. Twenty-eight years of being put down required him to convince her how incredibly beautiful he thought she was and little by little, Mary had started to come out of her shell.

That was evident when she came out of the bathroom in a sheer piece of lingerie that he was pretty sure she bought just for him. Dressing in lingerie was a very Snow thing for her to do. It was something Snow had done on numerous occasions for him back in their land. The clothing and styles may have been different here, but no less sexy. The shy look on her face the self conscious way she had looked down as he stared at her in awe was all Mary. But as he took her in his arms and looked at her with love, her insecurities melted away, as he kissed her and clearly conveyed how aroused he was by her. Then a side of her he had only seen in Snow came out. She couldn't get his clothes off him fast enough and he became lost in a haze of pleasure, created by her. Being pinned beneath her and the vision of her riding him was something that would be etched in his memory forever. The joy and pleasure of undressing her completely became his as he returned the favor by taking her hard, as she begged him to.

He should have been sleeping as deeply as she was now after the several bouts of lovemaking they had engaged in. But the contents of the book kept him awake and he finished the entire thing, knowing by the end for sure that it was no work of fiction. He gazed at his beautiful wife, as she lay asleep on her stomach, still bare from sex earlier and then back at the book. He was still having trouble wrapping his mind around it all, but he knew his wife had no idea. No idea that, biologically, she was the daughter of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. And now it didn't take much to realize that Stephanie wasn't Stephanie at all. He didn't know how he had missed it before, for his wife resembled "Stephanie" greatly. He needed to talk to Stephanie again, but first thing, he was going to go to Gold first. He knew that he must know and now Deimos' obsession with his wife was a bit clearer, yet no less unsettling. Persephone had given Snow up to protect her from Hades himself and to think that the Lord of the Underworld might be after his beloved was more than a little frightening. He also had to tell Emma, as well. Despite his restlessness, he managed to settle down so as not to wake Mary.

His eyes became heavy, as he put his arms around her and finally fell asleep, as if he could hear Snow calling for him from the dreamscape.

~*~

The Dreamscape

"Charming!" Snow called, as he finally appeared and she rushed to him.

"I'm sorry, my darling. I'm not sure why it took me so long to come to you tonight," he apologized.

"You're here…that's what matters," she replied, as she crushed her lips against his and he pulled her flush against him, kissing her back desperately.

"Uh hello…your child is still in the room," Emma complained, pulling them apart, as they shared an amused smile, before they hugged her between them. And Emma found solace, for no matter what was going on in her life while she was awake, somehow, they could always make everything okay, even when it wasn't.

"Are you okay, Princess?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she insisted and then watched her parents look at each other and have an entire conversation with their eyes. She rolled hers. Seriously, it was almost as bad as their eye sex. Almost.

"Sweetheart...you know we want you to tell us when something is bothering you," Snow implored.

"I...I just feel like I'm letting Henry down," she confessed.

"Oh honey...I'm sure that's not true," Snow reasoned.

"He just wants the curse broken so badly and I do too. It just seems like I'm not making any progress. I mean...I'm supposed to be the Savior. I feel like I'm failing everyone," she confessed.

"Oh sweetheart...no," Snow said.

"You're not failing anyone, Princess. If anything...we've failed you," David said sadly.

"What? Daddy...no," she protested.

"This isn't what we wanted for you. It's not what we planned. This burden...it's not fair to you," Charming lamented.

"Maybe not, but you and Mom are not to blame for this. Regina did this to us...to all of us," Emma said.

"I know you've been alone and we hate that. But we're still here to help you in anyway we can," Snow reminded.

"She's right and if I'm awake already in this town, then you need to lean on me, Princess. You may be the Savior, but you're our daughter first," he reminded.

"I know...I'm just not very good at asking for help or dealing with my feelings and all that crap," she muttered. Snow smirked.

"I know...you tend to try and internalize everything so you don't burden others and hide your pain. One guess on where you get that from," Snow said, side-eying her husband.

"She's right...you get that from me," he admitted.

"How do you guys do it? How do you guys not lose hope or doubt everything?" she asked.

"Love," Snow answered.

"She's right. We know it sounds simplistic, but love always wins in the end. Sometimes it also means sacrifice, but we've never doubted you for a second, Emma," he added. She looked at them and then dove between them for another hug. David cradled her head and kissed her hair.

"I love you guys," she said.

"We love you too, baby," Snow replied.

~*~

The next morning, after breakfast at Granny's, David kissed Mary goodbye for the day, as she went off to school and he made his way to Gold's shop.

"You're early today," he pawnbroker mentioned, as he came in and placed the book on the counter in front of him with a meaningful look.

"I see you've been doing some reading," he quipped.

"This...it's all true, isn't it?" David asked.

"I thought I had this well hidden until it was time. But I should have known Belle would have found it. She was always intrigued by rare, old books," he answered. But David still waited for a direct answer and it came from another voice.

"Yes David...it's all true," Stephanie said, as she walked into the shop.

"I might as well throw that closed sign away," Gold commented dryly.

"You're…" David started to say.

"Persephone...yes," she answered.

"Snow has no idea, does she? That you're her birth mother?" he questioned.

"No...I had to give her up to protect her from Hades and Deimos upon her birth, but I've always been watching over her from afar and protecting her where I could. My time in the Underworld limited my ability to do so much of the time," she confessed.

"And it's winter now...yet you're here," he said. She smiled.

"Very astute. Once Emma arrived in town, the realms were no longer frozen and time began to move again. I saw an opportunity to escape to this land out of Hades' reach. As you can imagine, he was probably livid when I did not return to the Underworld," she responded.

"You're here to protect Snow from him then," David deduced.

"I'm here to protect all of you...my family from him and Deimos. Hades will come," she warned.

"And when the curse breaks and Snow has her memory back?" he prompted.

"I will tell her everything," Persephone promised.

"Good...because I won't keep secrets from her. I'd tell her now if I thought she'd believe me," he replied. She smiled.

"I know and I know how much you love my daughter," she said.

"I'd die for her," he promised.

"And I'm here to make sure that's not necessary," she countered.

"Have you known all along too?" David asked.

"Yes...I commissioned this book as the only account of your wife's true origins so there would be a recording when it was time," Gold replied.

"And by commissioned, he means he made a deal with a writer at the time that was responsible for recording events," she clarified.

"You know that my deal with Isaac kept him from manipulating the story for his own volition and got him out of our hair," he reminded.

"I suppose you're right," she agreed, remembering how the little worm had planned to use his powers as the author to manipulate her daughter and son-in-law. Fortunately, they put a stop to him and sent him off to a place where he'd never bother their land again. David looked between them.

"Clearly you two have met before," he mentioned.

"We've had...dealings before," Persephone commented.

"Yet you still failed to tell me about the dreamscape," he countered. David's eyes widened.

"You're the reason we have the dreamscape?" he asked. She nodded.

"When I realized that the curse could not be stopped and my daughter faced losing her daughter and the man she loved for twenty-eight years, I went to Morpheus and begged him to create the dreamscape for my family," she explained, pausing for a moment.

"He agreed. It was a small consolation to know that at least in your dreams, you could be together," she revealed. He was stunned and grateful.

"It made all the difference. I mean, Emma was still alone, but not completely," he said. She nodded.

"That's why I pleaded so vehemently to Morpheus. And he fortunately agreed that the Savior should have every advantage possible," she added.

"I know you have many more questions, David and in time, I will answer them all," she promised.

"But Snow needs to hear everything too," he realized, despite his anxiousness.

"Yes...and she will once the curse is broke. Just know, that I am here to protect my family. That means Snow, Emma, Henry, and you," she implored.

"I trust you," he stated.

"You do?" she asked.

"I don't trust easily, but you're Snow's mother and it's obvious you'd never do anything to hurt her," he stated. She smiled, touched by his faith.

"It's not hard to see why Snow loves you so much," she mentioned.

"We all have the same goal too and that's breaking the curse, ending Deimos, and defeating Regina," he stated.

"And once the curse is broken, the final battle will begin," Gold reminded.

"You spoke once before about the final battle," David said

"Yes...and it could be one battle or many. Once the curse breaks, Hades and Deimos may only be part of our problem," he replied.

"Who else is there?" David asked.

"Many evils...but Cora for sure," Persephone interjected.

"Cora...Regina's mother?" he asked. She nodded.

"Like we don't have enough to deal with," he lamented.

"Yes...and she knows the truth. She stole this book years ago from me and exposed Snow's secret origins to King Leopold," Gold revealed.

"Snow's father knew?" he asked incredulously.

"She gave him the book shortly before his death. It was her plan to blackmail him into marrying Snow off to some prince twice her age in the southern Kingdom, so she could not challenge Regina for the Throne someday," Gold replied. That made David's blood boil.

"Surely he would never agree to something like that?" he exclaimed.

"He didn't want to...but Cora had something on him," Persephone replied.

"What was it?" he asked.

"Well...Leopold originally broke off his arrangement with Eva, because he and Cora were once in love. He found out she was lying to him about...something and ended up marrying Eva," Persephone revealed, as she and Gold exchanged a glance. Now was not the time to reveal what she was lying about. David felt like his head might explode.

"Okay...so he was going to marry Cora and then thirty some years later he marries Regina? He had to know who she was," he said, feeling a little disgusted.

"He did...yes. Leopold loved my Snow, even after he found out the truth...but he did questionable things in his life," Persephone replied.

"Cora was going to blackmail him with that little tidbit of information, but I intercepted her and promised that if she forced Snow into a marriage to get rid of her that I'd make sure Regina would never be Queen," Gold stated.

"No offense, but I'm guessing you didn't do that out of the goodness of your heart?" he asked.

"I had my own agenda, that's never been a secret. Seeing Snow White married off to some over the hill prince like a trophy wouldn't have boded well for my plans. But I assure you, neutralizing Cora was in the best interest of all," he replied.

"Your head must be spinning," Persephone mentioned.

"Just a bit. So...he still loved Snow, even when he found out she wasn't his biologically?" David asked. She nodded.

"I didn't like his choices, but yes, he did. As you can imagine, arraigned or forced marriages are not my favorite," she replied.

"Yeah...mine either," he said and she remembered that he too had almost been forced to marry someone he didn't love.

"I better get to the station, before Emma worries," he mentioned, as he went outside the shop. Persephone shared another glance with Gold and followed him out.

"I know this was a lot to take in. I have to say, you're taking it very well," she mentioned.

"I think I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all," he replied.

"Then can I ask you something?" she requested. He shrugged and nodded.

"How do you think Snow will take all of this when she learns the truth?" Persephone asked anxiously. He sighed.

"I only ask, because you know Snow better than anyone," she added.

"She'll be shocked at first, even more so than me. The parts about Leopold and Cora will be hard for her to hear, but Snow is the strongest woman I know, followed very closely by our daughter. We'll be there to get her through it and you're right, I know her," he said, looking over at her.

"She'll understand why you had to give her up, because we had to do the same with Emma. She'll want to know you and I think it helps that you're friends first. Be that for now and eventually she'll accept you as her mother," he advised. Persephone let out the breath she didn't even realize she had been holding.

"Thank you David," she said gratefully.

"You're welcome...I'll see you later," he replied, as he headed into the station, while she continued on to school. It was barely after eight in the morning and it had already been a very interesting day...


	24. Pressing On

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 24: Pressing On

Emma sat absolutely stunned the next morning, as her father finished explaining everything he had learned about her mother's true heritage.

"I...I can't believe she doesn't know," Emma said in disbelief.

"I know...believe me, I was in just as much shock as you are now," he agreed.

"So Stephanie is…" she started to say.

"Persephone. She's supposed to be in the Underworld, but found a way to come to this world without a portal. She still didn't tell me how she did that, but she says we're out of Hades' reach...for now," he replied.

"And Hades isn't…" she said, her stomach twisting a bit.

"Oh no...Gods no, Hades is not your grandfather. Her marriage to him is...forced. According to the book, she fell in love with a Prince, brother to Queen Eva. Your mother is still biologically related to Eva, just not exactly the way we thought," he answered.

"And all of this is in this really old book?" Emma asked. He nodded.

"Gold has it "commissioned" to use his words. It's the only account and wasn't included in Henry's book. It also explains why we have the dreamscape," he added.

"She did that for us?" Emma asked. He nodded.

"She couldn't stop the curse, so she asked Morpheus to create the dreamscape for us. It nearly killed her to give up your mother, but she did it to save her from Hades. She didn't want us to lose you completely like she lost your mother," he explained.

"So she gave her her best chance," she muttered, realizing that her parents had done the same for her and she had done the same for Henry. She wondered if there would ever be a time in their bloodline that this history wouldn't repeat itself. As if David could sense what she was thinking, he got up from his desk and knelt in front of her.

"We're going to win this. Then no one is ever going to separate this family again," he assured.

"I want to believe that, Dad. But Regina is bad enough. Deimos is frighteningly worse. Now it looks like the God of the Underworld is also gunning for our family," she fretted.

"Hey...I know, I know it's overwhelming and downright scary. But after everything we've been through, there is nothing we can't get through, as long as we do it together," he tried to assure her. She took a calming breath and composed herself.

"I don't know how you do it sometimes. You always have all this faith…" she mentioned. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"My love for you and your mother gives me the courage to have that faith. Good will win. True love does mean sacrifice sometimes, but this family has sacrificed enough as it is," he implored. She sighed.

"I hope you're right," she replied. She knew they were in for the long game and she had never truly been alone. Her parent's voices had always been there, but now she had them by her side. Her mother didn't remember yet, but she would. And she knew her father would do anything to protect the people he loved, just as she would...

~*~

Despite the weariness of things going on in town, like Damon walking free and his approaching trial, which she was almost assured would be a joke, the predicament of having Belle believe she's a loose barfly by the name of Lacey, and the discovery of her mother's true heritage told to her by her stunned father, Emma was able to enjoy the holidays for the first time in her entire life.

Mary was especially excited at the prospect of not being alone. Thanksgiving had been truly wonderful and Christmas was going to be no exception. She had gone all out with decorations around the loft, including the addition of mistletoe, which made her practically giddy. Especially when she told David what the purpose of mistletoe was. She found herself underneath that mistletoe with her love quite frequently after that and laughed heartily when he naturally suggested that they should have mistletoe up all year around.

Christmas Eve was truly wonderful, as they celebrated together and her loft was bursting with friends and Christmas cheer. Emma only wished Henry could be with them, but Regina had forbade it and kept a close watch on him. Still, all three of them had bought gifts for him and left them under the tree for him to open at the first opportunity after the holiday. Mary knew she wasn't supposed to have favorites, but admittedly, Emma's little boy was and David had assured her that it was okay to give him a gift since it was outside of school. He couldn't wait until she knew the truth though that Henry was their grandson. Hell, he couldn't wait for her to know the truth of her own lineage and that Stephanie, the woman she had developed a very close friendship with, was in reality her biological mother. He knew she would be in shock at first, but in the long run, she'd be extremely happy to have her in her life.

Christmas Day was low key and they spent it together, just the three of them with lots of leftover goodies, Christmas movies, laughter, and Emma rolling her eyes every time David and Mary found their way under the mistletoe.

With Christmas behind them, they faced the New Year, as 2011 was about to come to an end. Emma vowed right then that by New Year's 2012, the curse would be broken, hopefully long before that, and they would finally be together as a family. She was more determined than ever and it quickly became clear that 2011 was going to go out with a roar.

~*~

Ashley set their food down in front of them and Emma picked up an onion ring, taking a bite.

"Mmm...I've been waiting for this all day. You know these should be their own food group," Emma mentioned. Ashley chuckled and nodded.

"I know what you mean. It seems these days that fried and breaded is all this baby wants lately," she agreed.

"My kind of baby," Emma mused.

"How are you feeling, Ashley?" Mary asked.

"Truthfully...I'm miserable. I'm a couple weeks overdo. If I don't go into labor soon, Dr. Whale says he wants to induce, but…" she trailed off.

"But?" Emma asked.

"I just...can't keep her. Once she comes...that's it," she said sadly.

"Why can't you keep her?" Mary asked in a horrified tone.

"I have next to no money and I live in a tiny apartment that I can barely pay my rent on. Besides...I already made the deal with Mr. Gold. When she's born...he's going to find a good home for her," she replied.

"Ashley...if you don't want to give her up, you can still change your mind," Emma reminded.

"Emma...no one breaks a deal with Mr. Gold. And even if I wanted to, what kind of life could she have with me?" Ashley asked sadly, as she went to pick up another order.

"That poor girl...I can't imagine having to give up a baby. How does one even recover from something like that?" Mary wondered and Emma took a sharp breath. She knew from her interactions with her mother in the dreamscape that it wasn't something that she had gotten over. It wasn't something her father was over either. They were still able to be happy, because they had each other and her in a certain capacity. But she knew her parents would never not wish they didn't have to give her up. And it was something that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

But with Ashley's situation, her happy ending truly would be ruined if she was forced to give her baby up. Gold wasn't in the best of moods lately since Belle was given curse memories, but she knew if anyone could get through to him, it was her dad. So when Mary went to talk to her, in hopes of giving her comfort, Emma made a quick call to her father.

~*~

After lunch, Mary returned to her classroom. With her students on break, she spent her days planning new lessons for when school resumed. She was technically on break too, but had chosen to come in for just a couple hours to get a head start on future lesson plans.

She hummed to herself, that familiar tune she had come to love, even though she couldn't put her finger on where it was from, as she looked through her students art projects they had made before break. She found herself smiling more at Henry's than any and felt a little bad about her secret favoritism of him. She couldn't help it though. He was such an amazing little boy and there was something about him that was just special. David and Emma always insisted that she was responsible for the change in him; that she had managed to instill hope in him again. And she had done so before she had any hope herself.

Before David, she had all but given up on finding love. A couple horrible dates at Granny's with Whale and Damon's stalking had almost assured her that she'd never find her Prince Charming; certainly not the way Snow White had in the book she had given Henry. She was aware that Henry thought she and David were in fact Snow White and Prince Charming. It was a sweet notion and she found herself realizing that maybe he wasn't so wrong. Obviously, she was no bad ass bandit like the Snow White in his book and David didn't wield a sword or ride a horse. But he certainly had swept her off her feet like a Prince Charming would.

It was at that moment, she felt her vision go blurry and flash to another place. It was that day in the elevator again suddenly and she was walking around on a rocky surface in the blackness of the cavern. There was an object before her, a structure of sorts with a glass top. Before the flash of memory could go further, a voice interrupted her thoughts and as she snapped back to reality, she saw that the voice belonged to a very unwelcome person.

"Miss Blanchard...daydreaming on the job is very unbecoming, even from a woman such as you," Albert Spencer chided, as he and Mitchell Herman suddenly stood before her desk. She resisted the urge to shrink away from their scrutinizing gazes and looked up at them both.

"I'm not sure what you mean by a woman such as me, Mr. Spencer, but if you're here to insult me, then maybe you should just leave," she said. Albert Spencer seemed shocked by her ability to look him in the eyes, much less talk back to him.

"We won't be here very long, Miss Blanchard," Mitchell interjected.

"Yes, we have come to encourage you to drop the charges against Mr. Herman's client, Mr. Damon Tromera," Spencer continued. Mary felt a spike of anger spur inside her. So that's why they were here. To intimidate her into dropping the charges against Damon.

"I see...well, I'm sorry you wasted a trip, gentlemen. But I'm not about to do anything of the sort after what he did to me and David," she responded, trying her hardest to keep the quiver out of her voice.

"Miss Blanchard...I assure you that it is in your best interest to let this go. I think a messy trial is in no one's favor," Spencer prodded.

"He is right, Miss Blanchard. Do you really want to put yourself and your lover through the ordeal and scrutiny that is involved in testifying in court?" Mitchell asked.

"David and I will be fine. We have done nothing wrong. Your client on the other hand is guilty as sin. He attacked me and tried to kill the man I love, so if you think I'm going to just let it go...then you're going to be sorely disappointed," Mary spat in return. This time, she was unable to keep the quiver from her voice and so they felt the need to keep pushing her.

"Miss Blanchard...we have spoken to the Principal and the school does not want to be involved in such litigation," Mitchell stated.

"This has nothing to do with the school. This is about me and David. We were attacked and David was nearly killed," she responded, as the trepidation started to creep up in her.

"But you are a teacher at this school and the board is reluctant to have one of its employees involved in such scandal," Albert stated. That trepidation spiked into fear.

"Are you threatening my job, Mr. District Attorney?" she asked meekly. His smirk sent cold chills down her spine.

"Of course not, Miss Blanchard...I do not have the power to do that," he purred. But she knew that was a lie. He had almost as much power as Regina.

"But you must see it from the school board's point of view. To have one of the school's employees involved in a trial, accusing one of this town's most prominent members of such depraved acts does not bode well for any," Spencer continued. Mary felt her heart sink. He was practically telling her that the trial would ruin her, while Damon would be vindicated and she felt a little of the fight in her dwindle. Mitchell seized the opportunity and pulled an official document out of his briefcase.

"Just sign this paper, Miss Blanchard and all this messiness goes away. Mr. Spencer has even graciously agreed to grant you that restraining order against Mr. Tromera you've been vying for," Mitchell stated. Mary resisted the urge to scoff. A man like Damon Tromera would never let a thing like a restraining order stop him. But maybe if she did sign...maybe this was the best way to protect David. After all, if she lost in court, she knew Damon would seek revenge on them. As she instinctively picked up a pen, she almost felt woozy for there was a terrible pain in her head, almost as if something inside her was telling her that signing the paper would be a terrible mistake. An injustice in its greatest form. She dropped the pen and looked up at them, trying to suck her tears back.

"No…" she croaked.

"Miss Blanchard...do we really have to keep going over this? Or perhaps I should be more blunt. If you go through with this trial, I can assure you it will ruin you...and your lover. And anyone else that sides with you," he hissed. Even Mitchell looked a little taken aback by his malicious tone, but didn't have time to ponder that, as a voice interrupted them from the doorway.

"She said no, Mr. Spencer, and you have five seconds to get the hell away from her, before I call Sheriff Swan to come arrest you both for harassment," Stephanie growled, as she swept into the room and put her arm around Mary's shoulders. And something in this woman's piercing emerald eyes made Albert Spencer involuntarily back away. Her eyes flicked to the other man.

"You too, Mr. Mitchell," she added in an icy tone and he quickly backed away as well.

"Then I guess we'll been you in court, Miss Blanchard. I hope you're ready for what's to come," Spencer warned, as he and the other man left, leaving Mary to sigh in relief.

"Thank you," she said tearfully and Stephanie hugged her.

"It's going to be okay, honey. They're not going to win," she assured.

"I want to believe that...but I'm not sure I can," Mary sniffed.

"Why don't you let me take you home?" Stephanie asked.

"Thanks...but I need to go around and try to sell more candles for sister Astrid," Mary replied. She still had a couple weeks until the Miner's Day celebration, but sales weren't going very well.

"I'd like that," she said, as they got their coats.

~*~

David walked into the shop through the back entrance with Wilby in tow and Gold immediately knelt down to pet the dog.

"You still have the contract on Ella's baby?" David asked.

"Yes, it transferred over with the curse," he answered. David sighed.

"Don't you think you could forgive this one? I can't believe that you really want to take her baby from her," David countered.

"Yet everyone else won't be surprised at all. I'm Mr. Gold...the scary man not to be crossed. Perhaps I am everything they say," he retorted.

"What I know is family is important to you. That's one thing we have in common," David replied, as they stared at each other.

"We want the same things. You want Belle back. I want Snow back. I'll help you try and get through to Lacey. Taking Ella's baby doesn't restore her happy ending, which could delay the breaking of the curse," the prince added.

"I'll admit that you have a point," Gold said reluctantly.

"But you're missing a crucial part of her happy ending," he reminded.

"Thomas...I haven't seen him yet," David realized.

"Here in Storybrooke, he is Sean Herman, son of Mitchell Herman, who pressured his son to disassociate from her when it was discovered she was pregnant," he explained.

"He left her?" David asked in disbelief.

"It's the curse. He's not the Thomas you know. He's weak willed...scared that his father will cut him off from all his nice money," Gold stated.

"Mitchell Herman...why does that sound familiar?" David asked.

"He's Damon Tromera's attorney," Gold reminded. The deputy sighed.

"So if his son went back to Ella…" David started to stay.

"Ashley," Gold corrected.

"Ashley. If he went back to her, that would certainly tarnish his image. And you know that Regina will loathe another happy ending restored. I'd owe you too," David implored.

"You already owe me," Gold reminded.

"If Belle was here right now and found out you were going to take a baby from its mother, what would she say?" he countered. Gold gave the Prince a withering look, but he knew exactly what she thought of his penchant for taking babies in his deals.

"Fine...but you owe me doubly. And helping with Lacey doesn't count," Gold relented. David nodded.

"That one is on me and if it means a child can stay with its parents, then I'd gladly owe you a million favors," he replied. Gold rolled his eyes.

"Stop being so noble and get out," the pawnbroker grumbled. The former shepherd smirked.

"Or...we could go over the Rabbit Hole for a drink. I have some time to kill before I meet Mary and Emma at Granny's for the New Year's Eve party," David offered. Gold pondered for a moment.

"Flip that sign to close," he agreed. David smiled and did so, as they headed out.

~*~

Henry swung his legs back and forth, as he sat on one of the platforms of his castle playground after school. He was waiting to meet up with Emma, before he had to make sure he was at Archie's for his unnecessary therapy. Since the incident in the mines, he had returned to therapy, but Archie refused to follow Regina's instructions and hadn't discouraged Henry's belief. He knew it was a small consolation and that Archie didn't believe in the curse. But at least Henry's sessions didn't consist of an hour of his therapist explaining the difference between fiction and reality. He understood why people didn't believe though. It was hard for them to believe in magic, but it had never been hard for Henry.

He expected Emma to roll up in the bug any moment, but instead, he heard a motorcycle. August pulled up and took off his helmet.

"Hey Henry," he greeted.

"Hi August...what are you doing here?" the boy asked curiously.

"Just out for a ride. Thought I'd scout a good writing place and saw you here. Nice playground," he mentioned.

"It's a castle," Henry corrected. August chuckled.

"Of course...I see it now," he replied, with a touch of nostalgia in his voice that Henry didn't pick up on.

"Cool book…" August said, as he spied the brown, leather bound book next to him.

"Thanks…" he replied.

"Mind if I take a look?" August asked. Henry shrugged and watched the man flip through the book idly.

"These aren't quite the version most people know," he mentioned.

"That's because they're the real versions," Henry blurted out.

"The real versions? Like first editions?" August asked.

"Uh yeah...like that," Henry replied, realizing what he had just said. Thankfully, it seemed that the stranger didn't take his comment as the literal meaning.

"That's the great thing about being a writer. You can take a story that everyone thinks they know and take it in a whole new direction. And the best plot twists are the ones you don't see coming," August mentioned, though he could have no idea how true his own statement would prove to be later on. But there were definitely a lot of things happening that Henry never saw coming. This stranger coming to town just being one of many. Henry put his book away in his backpack, as Emma pulled up.

"I gotta go," he said.

"See you around, kid," August called, as he was impressed by Emma's scrutinizing gaze.

"Hey…" she greeted.

"Don't worry...I'm not stalking the kid or anything," he promised.

"Good to know," she retorted.

"What exactly are you doing?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Just looking for the right inspiration and killing time until the New Year's Eve party tonight," he replied.

"You're coming to the party?" she asked.

"Why not? What better way to get to know the town. How about you let me buy you a drink tonight?" he asked in return. She gazed at him with scrutiny again.

"We'll see," she replied, as she got back in the car with Henry and drove off. August smirked and pulled out an old newspaper article. He wasn't exactly sure where to start in getting Emma to believe, but he figured this article might be a good place to begin. He could not know though that getting Emma to believe wouldn't be a problem and the truth about the wardrobe would be a painful revelation...


	25. New Year, New Hope

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 25: New Year, New Hope

David walked into the bar with Gold behind him and observed his surroundings. It was a bit different than the taverns back in the Enchanted Forest, but seemed to have some of the same elements. Men drinking their lives away. It reminded him a bit too much of what his father had become and he had never spent much time in the taverns. But this was for a purpose and they quickly spotted Lacey. She was definitely dressed in something Belle would never wear and he knew this was going to be an uphill battle.

They moved up to the bar and ordered two beers, while Lacey continued to play billiards opposite another man, whose eyes wandered over her.

"This was a bad idea," Rumple hissed.

"No it isn't...buy her a drink and send it over," David suggested.

"That's your advice? Buy her a drink?" Gold asked. The Prince shrugged.

"It's an icebreaker. Then maybe you can go over and play opposite of her," David replied.

"Do I look like I know how to play billiards?" Rumple hissed. David rolled his eyes.

"No...but that doesn't matter. I didn't know how to be a prince either, but I learned. I know you're used to planning out everything down to the very last letter, but that's not how relationships work," he advised. Rumple gave him a curious look.

"You and...Mary Margaret. How does that work?" Rumple asked.

"Well...for Snow and me, our relationship was built on trust. One of the first things I told her after I awoke her from the sleeping curse was that I wasn't a real prince. I wanted her to know everything about who she wanted to be with," he said.

"Was she angry?" he asked.

"No...she was grateful that I was honest with her and she put my insecurities to rest, you know about not actually being a royal. She told me she loved me for who I was," he replied.

"How does that help me?" he asked. David smirked.

"I'm getting to that. See...Mary isn't Snow, but somehow I fell for her anyway. I fell for the parts of her that were still Snow and the parts that were Mary and exactly who she is," he explained.

"So you think I can develop a relationship with Lacey?" he asked. David shrugged.

"It's worth a shot. She's not Belle, just like Mary isn't Snow. But that didn't matter, because now I love both," he said. Gold signaled for the bartender and ordered her another of whatever she was drinking. It was sent over and their eyes met across the bar. She cocked her head slightly, as he limped over to the pool table.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

"Can't a man buy a beautiful woman a drink?" he replied.

"I'm not Belle," she reminded.

"I know...I believe it is Lacey whom I bought the drink for," he replied. She was silent for a moment, giving him a scrutinizing gaze.

"You play?" she asked, as she racked the billiards.

"Not really, but I'm a fast learner. Why don't you show me how to play," he suggested. She smirked and handed him a pool stick.

"I'll break," she said, as she shot the cue ball and the balls scattered, pocketing two solid balls.

"I'm solids...you're stripes," she stated, as she took another shot, until she finally missed. He copied her actions and aimed the pool stick at the cue ball, before hitting it. It smacked into a striped ball, which rolled into the corner pocket. She smirked.

"Not bad for a beginner," she complimented, as she noticed David at the bar.

"So...you and chisel chin over there are friends?" she asked curiously.

"Does that surprise you?" Gold answered back.

"A bit...isn't he the Sheriff's deputy?" she asked.

"He is...but somehow our friendship works. Sometimes the things that are the most unlikely work better than you can imagine," he replied, giving her the sense he was not talking about his friendship with Deputy Nolan.

"Hmm...I guess we'll see," she leered, as they continued to play the game.

~*~

Mary and Stephanie walked to the diner, after spending a couple hours selling candles in one of the neighborhoods.

"Thanks for helping me sell candles," Mary said.

"You're welcome...I just wish we had a little more success. That was a tough neighborhood," Stephanie replied.

"Yeah...I hate disappointing sister Astrid, but I think I bit off more than I can chew. No one seems to wants to buy them from me or help the nuns at all," Mary said dejectedly.

"Hey...we have still have some time. We'll find a way to help Astrid, but right now, we're going to celebrate," she said, as they entered the diner.

"I hope you're right...but Regina has really been working overtime spreading all kinds of lies about me. I mean...the way some of those people were looking at me. I felt like I had tramp stamped on my forehead," she muttered.

"Hey...no, you are not a tramp and very far from it. You and David have a wonderful relationship. David divorced Kathryn years ago and if those people are dumb enough to buy Regina's lies that you're somehow keeping them from a second chance, then they are not very bright. Because anyone that sees you and David together can see how much you two belong together," Stephanie implored. Mary smiled.

"Thanks," she replied, as they found a table.

~*~

Once David decided Gold didn't need him anymore, he headed out and off to Granny's. As he rounded the corner and came up to the diner, he found two men waiting for him. One of them he recognized as Thomas' father and he'd been told he was known as Mitchell Herman here. And the other made his blood boil with rage, as he was someone who had tried to destroy their happiness more than once.

"Deputy Nolan...we figured we might find you showing up here sooner or later," Albert stated.

"I have nothing to say to either of you," David replied sternly, as he walked past them.

"I think you'll want to hear what we have to say. Your girlfriend was quite uncooperative," Spencer retorted. David froze and turned around.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

"We made a visit to Miss. Blanchard at her classroom today and encouraged her to drop the charges against Mr. Tromera. If her friend hadn't interfered, I think she would have made the right decision," Mitchell stated.

"If you threatened her…" David growled.

"Come now, Mr. Nolan, we are respected members of the community. We would never think of doing such a thing," Spencer lied.

"We simply tried to convey that it would be in everyone's best interest to avoid a trial. Should you and Miss Blanchard drop the charges, Mr. Spencer is prepared to grant you the restraining order," Mitchell said.

"Damon Tromera is a monster. A restraining order won't stop him and he belongs behind bars," David replied firmly.

"It's like we told Miss Blanchard...I can promise you that going through with a trial will ruin you both," Albert promised.

"We'll take our chances," David answered, as he went into the diner. His frustration and anger melted immediately, as his eyes rested on Mary and Emma, who were both with Stephanie and talking to Archie and Marco.

Mary's face lit up when she saw him.

"There you are," she cooed, as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Mary felt her heart flutter and she wrapped her arms around his neck, as he kissed her deeply.

"Guys...it's not even close to midnight yet," Emma teased, as their lips parted.

"Like that's going to stop us," he retorted, as he wriggled his eyebrows playfully, making Mary giggle, as she cuddled close to him. The faster song that was playing ended and changed to a slower, romantic tune.

"Dance with me?" he asked. She smiled and nodded, as he led her to the dance floor. Mary never remembered a time where she had been happier.

~*~

Unfortunately, Ashley was far from happy.

As she refilled a few drinks, she was surprised when she looked up to find Sean there.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, as she tried to push past him.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," he stammered.

"I'm not sure why you care," she replied, as she tried to push past him again.

"Of course I care. Please...just talk to me," he pleaded.

"There's nothing to talk about. Soon this baby will be born and then we'll figure this out together," she said, as she put a hand on her stomach.

"Wait...I thought you were putting the baby up for adoption. My father said…"

But she cut him off.

"Your father encouraged that deal, so his son wouldn't have to burdened with the responsibility of a child. But I've changed my mind...I'm keeping the baby," she replied.

"But…" he started to say.

"Don't worry Sean, the baby and I won't be a burden to you. I want nothing from you or your father," she snapped.

"Ashley...wait," he called. But she stormed away and went outside for some air. However, that would prove to be no better, as she ran into Albert Spencer and Mitchell Herman.

"Ms. Boyd, I'm glad we ran into you this evening," Mitchell greeted. She sniffed and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.

"Somehow I doubt that," she replied.

"We heard that Mr. Gold is letting you out of your contract. That you've changed your mind," Mitchell stated.

"I have...but don't worry, I won't be asking you for a dime," she retorted. The attorney sighed.

"Ms. Boyd, you are unfit to raise this child. If you do not fulfill your part of the contract, you'll force me to file suit against you. Child Protective Services will investigate and things will not go your way," Mitchell warned.

"You can't take my baby from me," she cried.

"He can and he will if you are found to be unfit by the courts, Ms. Boyd. Do you really think you can support this child?" Albert asked.

"It's my right to try," she said, as she stormed away. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, as she realized what she had to do in order to keep her baby.

~*~

"You weren't kidding. You are a fast learner, but your poker skills were even more impressive," Lacey mentioned.

"Just a little magic with the cards," he replied, as Keith stalked up to them.

"Gold...we need to talk," the drunk growled.

"We have nothing to discuss, Mr. Anderson, least of all your lamentations concerning your abysmal poker skills," Gold stated.

"You cheated…" he accused.

"Hardly. I just happen to have...magic with cards, as I was telling Lacey. However, I did see you switch the deck after we dealt out. Perhaps you'd like to me share that with your distinguished colleagues at the table over there. I bet they'd be most interested to hear that," Gold threatened.

"Or maybe I just flatten you...and take what's owed to me," he growled. But Gold remained unfazed, impressing Lacey.

"You could do that. Physically, I am no match for you. But I caution you to remember who owns the building you live in...and who is really in control in this town," Gold hissed. Keith pulled back at that.

"Good decision. Now get away from us and concentrate on recouping what you lost tonight. Your rent is due in five days," he growled. Keith stumbled away and tripped over Gold's cane, as he returned to the table.

"Wow...you are as bad as they say," she said, in awe.

"You like that?" he asked in surprise. Belle would have been appalled by what he had just done, but Lacey seemed to be the opposite.

"I like power...and I'm drawn to those who have it," she purred.

"Power is everything," he agreed, as he almost jumped when she stroked his arm.

"My place is a bit small," she mentioned.

"Mine's not," he replied.

"Maybe we could go there then," she leered. Gold tossed down some cash on the bar and she hooked her hand on his elbow, as he led her out to his car.

~*~

Mary and David swayed slowly together, as another slow song played again and she rested her head on his shoulder, just relishing the feeling of being close to him and his strong arms around her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and rested his hands on the small of her back.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"About how wonderful this year turned out to be. Last year, I was alone and this year, I have everything. I...I don't ever want to go back to a place where you're not in my life," she confessed.

"And you won't. What we have is forever," he promised, as they shared another kiss, just as the music cut and the countdown began. But instead of waiting for midnight to kiss, they continued to kiss each other right up to midnight. As everyone cheered around them, their lips finally parted and they exchanged hugs with Emma and their other friends. But the celebration halted when Ruby came running in.

"Emma!" she cried.

"Ruby...what's wrong?" Emma asked.

"It's Ashley. She texted me and told me she's leaving Storybrooke. She says it's the only way she can keep her baby!" Ruby exclaimed.

"But Gold agreed to let her out of that contract," David replied.

"Yes...but someone else told her they were going to promise she would be declared an unfit mother," Ruby explained, as she glared at Mitchell Herman.

"What the hell did you do?" Emma demanded to know.

"I simply told her the truth. She is unfit to raise a child. The courts will agree," he responded.

"Or maybe they won't," Emma growled.

"Dad...how could you? I did everything you asked! I left her, even though I love her!" Sean cried angrily.

"Sean...I'm doing what's best for you. That girl is no good for you," he admonished.

"No...you're doing what's best for you!" And it's time I do what I want for me!" Sean retorted, as he approached Emma.

"Please help me find her. I need to make this right," he pleaded. Emma nodded.

"We'll come too," David added, as he took Mary's hand and they piled into the bug. If everything Henry said about the town line was true, then Ashley was probably in serious trouble.

~*~

Emma was not surprised to see Ashley's car in the ditch, just inside the town line. Henry was pretty insistent that bad things happened when anyone cursed tried to leave town.

"Oh my God...Ashley!" Sean cried, as he flew out of the car. She had managed to get out of the front seat and into the backseat, despite a gash on her forehead.

"Sean...what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to find you. I'm sorry...I should have never listened to my father. I love you," he confessed. She sniffed.

"I love you," she replied, as she cried out in pain, as a contraction hit.

"We need to get you to the hospital," he said.

"It's too late...my water broke. The baby is coming," she cried.

"The ambulance is on its way," Emma said, as she pocketed her phone.

"It's too late to move her," David said. Emma looked at him and could tell he was recalling her birth and how he could not move her mother to the wardrobe once Snow's water broke.

"I've got a blanket in the bug," Emma said, as she went to grab it.

"Okay Sean...get to her head and hold her to support her," David said, as the younger man climbed into the backseat from the other side and did so.

"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked skeptically. David knew he had to think of a plausible answer quickly, as he obviously couldn't say he'd been there for Emma's birth. But he had helped his mother birth plenty of lambs on the farm.

"Well...in my short time at the animal clinic, I assisted the vet in a couple birthings with the animals. I know the mechanics of what's happening," he explained.

"I've volunteered some in the maternity ward. We can do this," Mary added, as she put her hand on his arm.

"Okay Ashley...on the next contraction you need to push as hard as you can," David instructed, as Emma knelt beside him. Ashley cried out in pain, as she pushed as hard as she could on the next contraction. She fell back in exhaustion against Sean.

"Okay...the head is crowning. This is a really big push," Mary said, as she squeezed the girl's hand. Ashley screamed in agony, as she pushed again. She fell back against Sean again, as she cried.

"You're almost there. One more big push," Emma encouraged.

"I don't think I can," she sobbed.

"You can. They told you that you can't keep the baby, but you are. They told you that you can't raise this baby, but you can, so you can do this too," Emma insisted. Ashley cried out and pushed again. David cradled the newborn baby. He was instantly taken back to that night twenty-eight years ago when he cradled Emma the same way.

"It's a girl," he said, as Emma wrapped her in the blanket. The baby began crying, as he placed her in Ashley's arms and the new parents stared down the tiny bundle in awe.

"Congratulations," Mary told them, as she looked longingly at the baby and David put his arms around her. They shared a look and he hoped to convey to her with that look that this would happen for them. He hadn't really had time to sort his feelings out about it, but he and Snow had always wanted more than one child. He knew that if it didn't happen, Emma would be enough for them, despite the fact that she was grown now. They hadn't raised her while awake, but they had in their dreams. It was better than it could have been without the dreamscape. At least Emma knew how loved she was and he did hope that if this happened for them in the future, that their daughter wouldn't think they were trying to replace her.

For Mary, she didn't remember that she had ever given birth, but sbe loved children. Until David came into her life though, she hadn't dared to entertain the possibility of having a baby. But now...she found herself yearning to have one with him. She knew she was probably getting ahead of herself, but the look he gave her was more than enough in that moment. For she knew that this could very well be in their future, a future she had never imagined possible for her.

The ambulance arrived and took Sean and Ashley to the hospital to have them checked out. Emma shared a smile with Mary and David, as they got back into the bug and followed it back to town.

It was a new year and one more happy ending had been restored. It gave Emma that elusive hope that this year would mean more returned happy endings. She knew they had a lot ahead of them and it would be one hell of a fight. They still had to face Damon Tromera in court and there were sure to be many more obstacles in their path. But hope had returned to Storybrooke and with it, Emma believed they could weather the storm ahead as long as they were, as her father would say, together...


	26. Ruminations

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 26: Ruminations

The morning after Ashley had her baby dawned with a new day in a new year. David promised Emma he would take early patrol and had reluctantly pulled himself from the warmth and comfort of being cuddled in bed with Mary Margaret. She understood and went back to sleep at his urging, since it was a holiday, with the promise that she'd meet him at Granny's for lunch.

Fortunately, the town was extra quiet this morning, except for Jefferson insisting they meet at the shop. So after finishing his sweep of the town and grabbing a coffee from Granny's, he made his way to the shop and entered from the back way per usual.

"Good...you're here. It's about time," Jefferson said impatiently.

"What's so urgent?" David asked.

"In a minute. First… you can help me figure out what's different about him," the hatter said, as he returned a scrutinizing gaze to Gold.

"Well...it's pretty obvious," David mentioned, as Jefferson looked at him in surprise and then back to Gold.

"No...it's not obvious, though come to think of it, you have the same air about you too, like all the time. It's like a glow," Jefferson mentioned, now scrutinizing David.

"I do not glow," Gold snapped.

"Is this really why you called us here?" David deflected.

"No...I called you here, because we have another stranger in town and unlike our friend Persephone, this one didn't just pop up out of the ocean," Jefferson said, as he produced several photos of a man on a motorcycle.

"You think this guy came over the town line?" David asked.

"I know he did. I've watched the people of this town for twenty-eight years. This is the first time I've seen him," Jefferson replied.

"Do you know him?" David asked the pawnbroker.

"No...I've never seen him," Gold replied. And David was inclined to believe him since he looked unsettled by this development.

"Yeah...well don't freak out, but he's been talking to your daughter and grandson," Jefferson added, as he produced about a dozen more photos. David side-eyed him.

"Just how much do you watch my daughter?" he asked.

"Relax, chisel chin, it's not like that," Jefferson retorted, as they looked at the photos.

"I don't know who he is, but I don't like his apparent interest in my daughter and grandson," David mentioned uncomfortably.

"Well...my guess is he'll show up at the Miner's Day celebration and that might be a nonchalant way to find out more. For now, I'll keep an eye on him," Jefferson decided.

"So will I...unknowingly anyway," David agreed. Gold nodded as well.

"Okay, back to the other subject. Will you just tell me? I mean, he's usually growly and condescending. But today, he's just...indifferent," Jefferson said.

"You're going to get far more than condescending in a minute," Gold hissed. David smirked.

"I told you, it's obvious," the prince replied.

"Well, it's not to mean. I mean, I heard Granny asked for a couple more days on the rent and he granted it. He never let's people slide on their rent," Jefferson said.

"He had sex," David blurted out.

"And more importantly, sex with a woman he loves," David clarified.

"Out. Both of you," Gold hissed.

"So I suppose this wouldn't be the time to ask if you'd give the nuns extra time on their rent? Mary Margaret is having some difficulty selling all the candles," David said.

"There is nothing and I mean nothing that will make me cut a break to that blue flea and her hoard of buzzing specks," Gold growled.

"And the anger is back…" Jefferson deadpanned.

"Why do you hate the fairies so much?" David asked curiously.

"That's my business. This meeting is over," Gold snapped back. David rolled his eyes, as he and Jefferson left the shop, leaving Gold to ponder the photo of the mysterious stranger.

~*~

August stepped out of the Inn that morning and prepared to head to the diner for breakfast. However, he was surprised to find Henry waiting outside for him with the book under his arm.

"Henry...why aren't you in school?" August asked.

"Some things are more important than school," Henry replied.

"Like the curse," August stated, watching the boy's eyes widen in surprise.

"Then you do know about the curse," he exclaimed.

"That's why I'm here," August mentioned.

"Who are you?" Henry asked.

"Page twenty-three in your book," August replied, as the boy started flipping through the book, while August went inside the diner for a coffee. When he came out, the boy looked at him with wide eyes.

"You're Baelfire?" he asked in disbelief. August felt a sting of regret. He didn't like lying to the boy, but it was necessary.

"Sure am...I came here to see my father," he replied.

"He's Mr. Gold...why don't you just go tell him? He'll be really happy to see you!" Henry exclaimed.

"It's not that simple, I'm afraid. He abandoned me, Henry and if I'm ever going to have a relationship with him, I have to make sure he doesn't make the same mistakes as before," August replied.

"I...I don't understand," Henry said in confusion.

"There's something I'm looking for and you can help me find it when the time is right. For now, you better get on to school," he replied.

"Okay…" Henry said in disappointment, as he started to walk the other way.

"Hey kid…" August called, as he turned around.

"Yeah?" Henry asked.

"Your Mom...Emma...does she believe you? You know, about the curse?" he asked. Henry felt a spark of trepidation when it came to that question. Both Emma and Gramps had been very adamant about the fact that people had to believe they were only humoring him about the curse. If anyone suspected, it could blow Operation Cobra completely and put his family in all kinds of danger. So he did something he was used to doing with Regina and lied.

"No...not really. She just humors me," he said, putting on a sad face, before continuing on and leaving August to ponder his confession.

~*~

Later at the station that day, David was deep in thought. The town was quiet and they were using the opportunity to catch up on paperwork. Emma had found money in their budget to purchase a scanner since she was determined to get them a filing system, quote, from the current century.

"Dad...are you okay?" Emma asked.

"Hmm...yeah, sorry, I just have a couple things on my mind," he mentioned.

"Obviously...so spill already," Emma prodded.

"Well...did you know we have another stranger in town? A guy on a motorcycle?" he asked.

"Yeah...I met him. His name is August W. Booth. He says he's a writer," she replied.

"Jefferson said he came from outside town," David said.

"Yeah, the kid and I figured that. I don't know what he what he wants yet, but I'm keeping an eye on him. Hell though, I didn't even know people could get in. Henry says they couldn't, but we think maybe me coming to town changed that," Emma mentioned.

"Time is moving again. And if they can...I mean any outsiders, could they be dangerous to us? I mean, if they somehow learned who we are?" David asked. She blew out a breath. It wasn't something she wanted to think about, but knew they needed to. This world was a cruel place, she knew that first hand.

"Maybe...I don't know. I mean, it's not likely they'd believe everyone here is what they consider fairy tale characters," she replied. He was aware that people in this Iand thought they were just stories, mostly for children and their lives had been reduced often to two dimensional tales that weren't even close to being right.

"There's no magic too so that's in our favor. But if there ever was and an outsider saw magic and God forbid got it on camera...yeah that could be really bad. But that's like the worst case scenario," Emma explained. But he and Snow had been through enough to know that the worst case scenario could in fact happen.

"And this August guy says he's a writer?" David asked.

"So he says, but the guy make my superpower go nuts, so he's probably lying," she replied. Yes, he was definitely have to find a way to strike up a seemingly innocent conversation with this August W. Booth.

"Dad…" she started to say.

"Just be careful around him, Em," he pleaded. She smiled.

"I will be...besides, I know you have my back," she replied. He smiled back.

"I do…" he said, as she shifted to the other thing he'd been thinking about.

"So...what else is on your mind?" she asked.

"Well...I think I'm going to ask your mother, well Mary rather, to marry me," he said, as he looked up and her and her mouth dropped open.

"I know...technically we're already married, but no one knows it, not even your mother," he lamented.

"Dad...I'm surprised, but it's not a bad surprised," Emma assured him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Hell yeah! Do you know how happy this will make her?" Emma asked. He chuckled.

"The thought did cross my mind," he replied.

"Oh...and do you know how pissed Regina will be?" she added.

"That crossed my mind too," he admitted.

"The question is why haven't you done it yet?" she asked.

"Well...that's just it. I need a ring. I mean, she's already wearing my mother's ring, even if she doesn't know it. And so I need another one...and it needs to be perfect. The one she has is really important to us both," he said.

"So not just any ring will do," Emma agreed.

"I think I have the perfect one," a voice said, as they turned to find Stephanie there.

"I'm sorry, I just happened to overhear as I was coming in," she apologized.

"It's okay...you are family and you should know," David said, as Persephone removed a ring from her ring finger.

"This was Eli's ring he gave me," she said, as she handed it to him. He gazed at the deep blue sapphire stone in awe, for it had what appeared to be a star within it, with six rays.

"It's a star stone...very rare, though the gem itself is sapphire," she explained.

"But if this belonged to Snow's biological father, I can't take this. It's all you have left of him," David protested. Persephone smiled.

"No...I have my little Snow. She's the greatest gift he gave me. Please give it to her. It was passed down in Eli's family for generations," she told them.

"Thank you," David replied.

"So...when are you going to do it?" Emma asked anxiously. Weddings weren't her thing, but this was one she could really be ecstatic about. He smiled.

"I'll know the perfect moment when I see it," he replied.

~*~

Two Weeks later

They were a few weeks into the New Year now. Miner's Day was fast approaching and just after that, they would be going to trial against Damon Tromera. Mary would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about it, but it wasn't as overwhelming with David's love and support behind her. Waking up to him beside her and with his arms around her was like waking into a dream she never wanted to end. Especially with the way he was slowly kissing down her neck now and his hands touching her all over.

"Oh David…" she cried out, her voice thick with passion, as he thrust deeply inside her. She lay writing beneath him, splayed around him, as he buried his thick, considerable length inside her again and again.

"I love you...so much…" he rasped, as he kissed her lips and continued making love to her, until they both came in a rushing burst of pleasure.

As they came down from their incredible high, David spooned her against him and she craned her neck so she could gaze back at him.

"I love you too," she said, as he pecked her tenderly on the lips. They cuddled for a while and talked softly, occasionally exchanging kisses and she took comfort in his reassurance.

"Hey...I know you feel like you're letting Astrid down by not being able to sell all the candles, but you didn't. She'll be grateful you tried and managed to sell as many as you did," he assured, as he kissed the back of her hand.

"I hope so...I just wish I could have made it," she lamented.

"Well, the day isn't over. Maybe we can still sell some at the festival. I'll help...I've been told I'm quite charming," he said, as he wriggled his eyebrows playfully at her. She giggled and kissed him again.

"Mmm...you are," she agreed, as they kissed again and his lips trailed down her neck. For the last two weeks, he had been trying to find the perfect time to propose and decided that tonight was the night. He had helped her and the rest of the Miner's Day volunteers set up the square last night. It was going to be perfectly lit with twinkling lights and he couldn't wait to get down on one knee by the patch of snowdrops she and her students had planted to propose in front of all. Then they would marry again and he could finally call her his wife once more.

"Mmm...David, we both need to get ready for work," she reminded.

"Yeah...I suppose you're right," he replied in disappointment.

"You know, if we shower together, we can kill two birds with one stone," she tempted. He smirked and she yelped, as he picked her up and carried her toward the bathroom.

After parting ways with Mary for the day, David made the frequent detour on the way to the station to the shop, entering through the back again.

"Good...you're here," Gold stated.

"What's going on?" David asked.

"This guy has been talking to your grandson again," Jefferson said, as he showed him recent photos of the stranger and Henry.

"We know this...but Emma and I have been waiting to see what he does. As much as we don't like it, we can't arrest him for just talking to Henry in a public place," David replied.

"Yes, but it's time to find out why he's really here, because he seems to have a healthy interest in the book," Gold said, as he showed him another photo of this August looking through Henry's book.

"You think he knows?" David asked.

"There is a possibility, though how, we have no idea," Jefferson replied.

"We need to know so I'm calling in one of those favors," Gold stated.

"What do you want me to do?" David asked.

"He has breakfast at Granny's every morning at seven forty-five," Gold said, as he slid an Inn key over to him.

"Go through his room and find whatever you can about who he is and why he's here," Gold stated. David looked at them both and reluctantly agreed. He didn't like doing this kind of thing and certainly preferred not to break laws to do it. But if it meant protecting his family and getting them closer to breaking the curse, then he'd do it. He grabbed the key and hurried out, as it was already seven-thirty.

~*~

Henry was really excited when he got a text that morning from David to meet him just outside the diner.

"Gramps!" Henry called, as he found him, leaning against the side of the building. David smiled and hugged him.

"I thought you could help me with a secretive mission for Operation Cobra," he said. Henry's eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked. He nodded.

"But first, I need you to tell me what Mr. Booth has been telling you," David replied.

"You know about that?" Henry asked. The Prince nodded.

"You can tell me anything, Henry, even if he told you not to," David said, as he got down on one knee to Henry's level.

"Well...first he asked me if my Mom believed in the curse and I sort of lied and told him no," Henry replied.

"So he knows about the curse?" David asked. The boy nodded.

"I told him Emma was just humoring me," he replied.

"That's good...I know you don't like lying and normally I don't condone it either, but in this case, we need to in order to protect our family," David told him.

"He also told me something else," Henry said.

"What's that?" David asked.

"He said he's Baelfire," Henry told him. David's brows knitted in confusion.

"Baelfire?" he asked. Henry opened the book and showed him. David's eyes widened.

"He's Rumpelstiltskin's son?" he asked.

"That's what he says," Henry replied.

"Why hasn't he gone to see him?" David asked.

"He says he can't yet. He's looking for something. Do you think he's lying?" Henry asked.

"Well...Emma thinks he's not telling us something, which would mean he could be telling you things that aren't true. And if Emma thinks so, then that's enough for me," David replied.

"What are we going to do?" Henry asked.

"I'm going to take a look in his room and you're going to be my look out," David said, as they went over to the Inn. Granny and Ruby were busy with the breakfast rush so they slipped up the stairs past the front desk without notice.

David unlocked the room number that was on the key and they slipped inside, with Henry leaving the door creaked so he could see out. David rifled through the drawers and then moved onto the desk, where he looked through the papers. He uncovered a hand drawing of a peculiar looking dagger with the name Rumpelstiltskin on it.

"Hey...that's in my book," Henry said.

"Do you know what it is?" David asked.

"It's the Dark One dagger...it can control the Dark One," Henry replied.

"Okay kid...I need your skills with technology. We need to take a picture of this," David replied. Henry smirked.

"I need your phone. Even your dinosaur flip phone can take photos," Henry joked, as he took David's phone and snapped a picture.

"Are you calling me old?" David asked, playfully nudging the boy.

"Well...you are my grandpa," Henry reminded. David smirked.

"Touche…" he agreed, as Henry handed the phone back to him.

"Okay…we better get out of here and get you off to school before you're late," David said, as they slipped out again.

~*~

Later that day, during recess, Mary Margaret was boxing up the rest of the candles, preparing to go to the square straight from school to finish setting up for the festival.

"Well...Miss Blanchard, hard at work, I see…" a voice said and it made her drop the box she was holding and whip around, seeing Damon Tromera in her doorway.

"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, as she backed away.

"I heard about your predicament with the little candle sales and have come to offer a gesture of good will," he stated, gesturing grandly.

"I want nothing from you," she hissed, as her students began to file in from recess.

"Come now, Mary Margaret. I'm offering to buy all your little candles and help you save the nuns. Is this an offer you can really refuse?" he leered, as he started writing the check.

"Stop...just get out!" she cried. The other students didn't seem too upset by his presence, but Henry knew this was trouble and ran out into the hall.

"Ms. Kore! Ms. Kore!" he called, as he saw her on the other end of the hall. Stephanie came running and gasped when she found that man in Mary's classroom.

"You...get out now!" she growled. He chuckled in amusement and put the check on her desk.

"I'll just leave this here," he leered, as he strolled out with a smug look on his face. Mary was trying to remain composed, but her shoulders were racking and Stephanie led her out into the hallway.

"Jim...can you watch Mary's students for a few minutes? Just have them continue with their worksheets," Stephanie requested. The gym teacher nodded and went inside the classroom, as Stephanie led her daughter to the teacher's lounge. Mary's shoulders began to rack with sobs and Stephanie pulled her into a hug.

"Oh honey...it's okay," she soothed, as she held her daughter's beautiful face in her hands.

"Deep breaths…deep breaths...copy my breathing," she instructed, as Mary tried to do so.

"I'm sorry...I don't know why I just fell apart like that," she admonished herself.

"You have nothing to be sorry about it," Stephanie insisted.

"I've just never had someone scare me so much," Mary said.

"You being scared of him is more than justified. He is a dangerous man, even more so, because our disgraceful leadership in this town has let him go unchecked. But that is going to change once we go to trial next week," Stephanie assured.

"What if we don't win?" Mary asked brokenly and Stephanie felt herself breaking with her. But she took a deep breath and pushed her emotions down.

"We will...he is a monster and the jury will see that," she assured, pleading to Athena that she was right. Mary took a few deep breaths and Stephanie helped her back to her classroom, as she composed herself. She thanked Jim and grabbed the check on her desk. She tore it up into tiny pieces and Stephanie held up the trash can for her.

"I won't be far away if you need me," she promised. Mary smiled.

"Thank you...I'll see you tonight at the festival," she replied. Stephanie nodded and quietly left, as Mary attempted to go on with that day's lesson.


	27. Dreaming On

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 27: Dreaming On

David hadn't had a chance yet to tell Emma what he had found in August's room, but figured he should still tell Gold first. He didn't know if August was telling the truth, but decided Gold deserved to know about this development right away. He hurried in the back way and to the front of the shop.

"Did you find anything?" Jefferson asked.

"Oh yeah...I found this in his things," David said, as he placed the drawing of the dagger on the counter. He watched Gold's face go ashen.

"Henry told me what it is and what it does," David said, looking at the pawnbroker.

"He's right...but the dagger is useless without magic," Gold stated.

"Henry said that too, but there's more. He told Henry that he's actually someone named Baelfire," David said, looking at Gold, who was now clutching the counter so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

"Baelfire...your son?" Jefferson asked, but Gold couldn't find his voice.

"So he says...but he sets off Emma's superpower like crazy," David replied.

"Is that really reliable?" Jefferson asked skeptically.

"If Emma thinks he's lying, then he is. About what or how much, we don't know. That's why I think we should be cautious about believing anything he says," David surmised, looking at Gold.

The Dark One knew his ability to be rational when it came to Baelfire was limited and he wanted it to be true, despite knowing the Prince had a very good point.

"Okay...let's say he is Baelfire. Why would your son be looking for the dagger?" Jefferson asked.

"He knows it's the source of my power," Gold replied.

"But there's no magic here...he has to know that," David reminded.

"Something doesn't add up to me," Jefferson added.

"Well...we could set him up to find out if he's really who he says," David suggested.

"How do you propose we do that?" Gold asked curiously.

"We know that he's looking for the dagger, so eventually he's going to come here to look. I say we let him find it," David replied.

"I don't let anyone just handle the dagger," Gold hissed.

"No, but you said it has no power here. Besides, we'll be watching when he does come. He won't have it long. Emma just got something she called security cameras in the mail. She explained to me what they do. She says they have them at the hospital. It's how she knew which way I went the night I woke up," David explained.

"Yeah, we know what security cameras are, chisel chin. But you discovering technology is still cute," Jefferson teased, making David roll his eyes.

"Anyway...he won't have the dagger long once we confront him," David continued.

"If he's a liar, it's probably the only way to get him to come clean...by backing him into a corner," Jefferson agreed.

"Fine...but we do this my way," Gold stated.

"If he isn't your son, I can't let you kill him," David warned.

"There are varying degrees between alive and dead," Gold countered.

"I think that was code for he's gonna kick his ass," Jefferson said.

"If he did lie to Henry, I can probably help you do that," David agreed, as he checked his watch.

"I need to get to the square to help Mary soon. If he shows up…" the prince said.

"I'll call you," Gold agreed, as David left the shop with Jefferson following him a bit later.

Lacey came in soon after that.

"Please tell me we're not going to that lame Miner's Day thing," she drawled. He smirked.

"As landlord to most people in this town, I'm required to make an appearance, but we don't have to stay long," he promised, as he got his coat.

"Good...too much of that bleeding heart stuff makes me nauseous," she complained.

"You and me both," Gold agreed, as he turned out the light and they left the darkened shop.

~*~

As school dismissed for the day, Mary started packing up her things, including the candles she had left, and prepared to head directly the square to finish setting up. Leroy stood on a ladder in her room, fixing one of the overhead lights in her classroom that was having a wiring problem. She watched him almost stumble off it, as Sister Astrid arrived and smiled to herself.

"Hello Mary Margaret," she greeted.

"Hello sister...I just want to apologize again that I couldn't sell all the candles," Mary said.

"It's not your fault and we still have a little time left. I've been praying for a miracle to fix my blunder," she replied.

"I do have a confession to make and I hope you don't hate me for it," Mary said with trepidation. Astrid smiled kindly.

"Mary Margaret, you are one of the sweetest, kindest people I know. I could never dislike you, let alone hate you," the nun assured her. She let out a relieved breath.

"Earlier today…Damon Tromera came by my classroom," Mary started to tell her.

"Oh my goodness...are you okay?" Astrid asked in concern. She nodded.

"He got me riled up, but I'm guessing that was probably his intent. I'm not sure what his ploy was, but he offered to buy the rest of the candles. He just scares me so much...I ripped up the check and Stephanie made him leave," Mary confessed.

"You did the right thing," Astrid agreed.

"Did she?" a voice said from the doorway, as they both turned to see Mother Superior standing there with a very cold, scrutinizing stare.

"Mother Superior…" Astrid started to say, but she was ignored.

"Miss Blanchard...the convent is in dire straights and the fact that you turned down a solution to our problem is deeply troubling," she said sternly.

"Mother Superior...that man hurt Mary Margaret and almost killed David. I don't think that is the kind of money we need," Astrid protested.

"Considering you are the reason we are in this predicament, you should be as upset as I am," Mother Superior snapped, as she looked back at Mary Margaret.

"Damon Tromera is a terrible man. I assure you that if he was trying to help, then it was probably to make himself look good for next week's trial," the teacher protested.

"I don't care...you had no right to turn down that money for the convent. We are not too proud to take his money. After all, he is a pillar of the community," she stated. Mary Margaret was appalled.

"A pillar of the community? He owns the sleaziest club in town! Emma says she suspects he's involved illegal things she can't prove! How can you call him a pillar of the community?" the raven haired beauty cried in outrage.

"I would watch your tone, Miss Blanchard. I hardly think someone like you should judge others," the head nun hissed and Mary blanched.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"It means that I remember when David and Kathryn were married in my church. But instead of trying to make his marriage work, David left her and allowed himself to be seduced by the pathetic woman who visited him every day while he was in a coma," she said harshly and Mary was taken aback by her hostility. She shook her head.

"David is divorced and we love each other. We aren't doing anything wrong," she said.

"Keep telling yourself that, dear," Mother Superior said.

"I'm sure she will, just like you will," Leroy grumbled.

"Excuse me?" Mother Superior snapped, glaring at the handyman.

"Just saying, sister. The gossip around town is that Damon Tromera is dropping cash in the forms of charitable donations all over, including at the hospital and the church," Leroy stated.

"That has nothing to do with this and it's none of your business," Mother Superior snapped.

"So...Damon is buying his way through town in hopes to sway the trial next week," Mary said. It was a hard pill to swallow, but one she wasn't really surprised by.

"The church has many needs and cannot be picky like you, Miss Blanchard," Mother Superior defended.

"Sure...you can take money from a man that runs a club that probably moves drugs and has strippers, but you refuse to recognize David's divorce," Mary said.

"Miss Blanchard…" Mother Superior hissed.

"No...I get it. He throws money everywhere so he gets a pass. But I'm dating a man that's been divorced for years and I'm the tramp. I should be used to that in this town by now," she added sadly.

"I don't have time for this anymore...I need to get to the square and hope that we can earn enough donations to pay our rent, since you decided to throw away the solution to that problem," Mother Superior said, as she stormed out.

"Mary Margaret...I'm so sorry," Astrid apologized. The raven haired beauty sniffed.

"It's okay...it's not your fault. I should have known better than to get my hopes up, you know? Next week, Damon Tromera is going to get away with terrorizing me and David, because he's already probably bought the judge and jury," she sniffed.

"We don't know that," Astrid tried to assure her.

"We kind of do, sister. As much as it sucks, she's right. This whole town is messed up," Leroy deadpanned and received an annoyed look from the nun.

"You're not helping," she chided.

"Come on, let's take the rest of the candles to the square. You never know, we could still get that miracle," the nun tried to encourage the teacher.

"And if we don't, I'm sure Damon will swoop in and save the day in front of the whole town," Mary said, as she took a box and stalked out with it. Leroy watched them go and knew they had no chance of getting that miracle...unless he managed to create one.

Normally, he wouldn't even consider helping another person in this town. But Mary Margaret had always been kind to him when no one else bothered. And Astrid...he had admired and loved her from afar for years. Perhaps...he could make this happen for them and stick it to that rich sleazeball at the same time…

~*~

Jefferson milled about the square, trying to make sure it wasn't obvious that he was watching Grace with her foster parents. He ached to have his daughter back and as impatient as he was, he knew they were getting close. The curse was weakening, little by little. The changes were very subtle, but he saw more of them every day. Mary Margaret grew a little bolder each day with David and Emma's influence. Ruby was more conscious of her life choices and was actually getting along with Granny these days. She was much less Ruby and more Red every day. Leroy was here too and that was huge. Finding him anywhere but at the bottom of a bottle was progress, indeed. Regina still had her cronies and supporters, but once the curse broke, that tide would change in an instant. He had never put much faith in leadership, but he was eager to know what a Storybrooke under Snow White and Prince Charming might be like. He knew it meant family and that was enough for him to throw his support behind them once it came time for the battles ahead.

"Well...I'm surprised to see you here. Don't you usually experience everything from behind your telescope?" Regina jabbed, as she sided up to the hatter.

"Things are different this year...as I'm sure you've noticed," he replied, a bit smugly. He wouldn't deny that he greatly enjoyed watching Regina squirm.

"Well enjoy them while you can, because if I have my way, next year will look very different," Regina said through barely contained rage.

"I think it's time you get real, Madam Mayor. Because this can of worms, so to speak, has been blown wide open and you can't just put everything back neatly the way it was," Jefferson warned.

"Oh, we'll see about that, now won't we?" she asked, as she brushed past him. He watched her go and saw her and Emma glare daggers at each other from across the square. The Mayor put her hand firmly on young Henry's shoulder, as if she was trying to make a statement with that one gesture. But what the Mayor didn't seem to understand was that the tighter she gripped Henry, the more he would slip away. His yearning to be with his biological family was growing stronger by the day. He wondered if the Mayor realized that if she were just to let him go that she might find that he would return willingly to her. After all, he knew the boy loved her, despite what she had done. If Regina would just allow him to be with the other people he loved as well, they'd all be happier. It made him wonder why this town, with all its people under her thumb, was really her happy ending. He'd watched the monotony for the last twenty-eight years. It was boring and nothing had happened before Emma came to town, save for when Regina adopted him.

It was that thought that struck him then. He didn't pretend to know a lot about the American adoption system, but it did make him wonder what kind of red tape Gold had to cut through to allow Regina to adopt Henry with no questions asked and no follow up from the supposed Adoption agency. Now there was a question he wanted to ask and he had a feeling, given Gold's current feelings toward their esteemed Mayor, that was a question Gold might be willing to answer.

With the arrival of Mary Margaret, he saw David's face light up and then turn down in concern, as he ensconced her in his arms. It looked like Mary Margaret Blanchard hadn't had a good day at all and wondered if it was about it get worse with Damon Tromera strutting smugly toward the square with Albert Spencer. The electricity in the air with all these opposing forces was volatile and promised fireworks in Storybrooke tonight, for if there was one thing that was true about Storybrooke these days; it was no longer boring.

~*~

David smiled, as he saw her, but frowned soon after and pulled her into his arms as she reached him.

"Hey...are you okay?" he asked, as she buried her face in his chest. She found herself breathing in his scent and relishing his arms around her.

"I'm okay now...it just wasn't a very good day," she sniffed and he could tell she had been crying.

"What happened?" he asked. Whoever had made her cry was going to get an earful from him for sure. He hated that there were people that treated her so terribly in this town. He knew most of it was the curse and Regina had managed to turn the opinion of some against her, but he still hated it.

"Tell me…" he pleaded, as he caressed her beautiful face.

"Well...first Damon Tromera showed up at the my classroom," she said, wincing when she saw him go rigid and his eyes shoot toward the man like blue fire.

"He did what?" he growled.

"It's okay...I wasn't alone. I'm not exactly sure what his ploy was, but he tried to buy the rest of the candles, like he was doing me a favor. Stephanie made him leave and I ripped up the check," she replied.

"Of course...we don't need his dirty money. We'll sell the rest of these candles," he assured.

"That's what I told Sister Astrid and she agreed that we couldn't take money from that man. Unfortunately, Mother Superior didn't share our opinion," she said sadly.

"Mary...I don't care what she said, because you did the right thing," he implored. She nodded and sniffed.

"I know...it just still hurts, you know? The names...but I think it hurts more that she refuses to recognize your divorce," she replied.

"Listen...you are not any of those names. You are the woman I love and the woman I'm meant to be with," he said. She smiled and nodded.

"I know...I think I can ignore the names as long as I have you," she replied. He smiled and kissed her tenderly.

"And you do have me…" he promised, as her eyes fluttered open. The festivities commenced and they were still struggling a bit with the candle sales. David nearly lost his cool when Damon strode up to the table and he put his hands on Mary Margaret's shoulders.

"I spoke with Mother Superior and I'm willing to ignore your earlier rejection of my contribution. A simple apology and your money woes will be over. These candles will look lovely in my club," he goaded.

"She doesn't owe you anything and we don't want anything from you," David growled. He smirked smugly.

"It continues to puzzle me why you choose to be with this pretty idiot when I could show you a life of luxury and sophistication with me," Damon goaded.

"You mean the life where you treat me as your possession?" she countered.

"Well...you are a prize for sure," he retorted.

"I love David and he loves me. We don't want anything to do with you, I don't care how many names I am called, but I will never accept anything from you. It would be like making a deal with the devil himself," she retorted back hotly. Damon glared at them both, as David was the one smiling smugly this time, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Have a good evening, Miss Blanchard," he hissed, as he moved along and she let out a breath of relief.

"You are amazing," he told her, as he kissed her cheek.

"He's just so scary and creepy. He makes my skin crawl," she replied. He kissed her head.

"I know...we'll beat him though," he promised.

"I want to believe that, but Leroy said he's been making donations all over town. The convent, the hospital, every charity there is...David he's buying the jury," she fretted. He hugged her tightly.

"I know...but I still have to believe we can win and even if we don't, he's never touching you again," he replied. She was trying to think that was possible, but from the way her candle sales were going, she was having difficulty. What she didn't notice, however, was that Leroy had climbed onto the roof of hardware store where he had wired all the lighting from.

David saw him and looked at him curiously, but the shorter man simply motioned to the breaker box and held up his wire cutters. David smiled, catching onto to what he had in mind and gave him a thumbs up.

Suddenly, all the lights went dark and he was quick to start lighting candles on their table, giving off a glow. Mary looked at him and he grinned.

"We have candles!" she called and watched in amazement, as people began lining up at her table. Emma smiled, as she took one and stood by the table.

"Great timing for a blackout," she whispered to her dad.

"Well...the bad guys never play fair, so sometimes good has to stack the deck a little," he replied. By the time the line dissipated, they had sold out of the candles and Mary was in awe.

"We did it...we sold them all. We made enough for the rent at the convent!" she exclaimed. He picked her up and spun her around.

"I told you you'd do it," he said, as he kissed her. Her day had gone from bad to worse and then somehow had turned out good. But she could have never known at that moment that it would go from good to fantastic.

"You know...I've been waiting for the perfect moment to ask you a very important question and I don't think I'll ever get a better or a more romantic moment," he mentioned, as the candlelight around them created the perfect glow. She cocked her head to the side, wondering what he meant.

"I love you more than anything and I love making you as happy as you make me. I know the only thing that would make me happier than being your boyfriend...is being your husband," he said, as he got down on one knee and pulled the ring from his pocket. She gasped and they quickly drew everyone's attention.

"Mary Margaret Blanchard...will you marry me and be my wife?" he asked. A few tears escaped down her fair cheeks, but this time they were happy tears and she nodded her head.

"Yes…" she choked out.

"Yes!" she exclaimed again, as he put the ring on her finger and then stood up to pull her into his arms. He crushed his lips against hers and held her flush against him, as their lips moved passionately over each other's. Most everyone present applauded for them, while Regina glared murderously at them. Damon and Albert Spencer looked none too pleased as well, but David couldn't find it in himself to care about the possible threat they posed. So instead, he glared right back at them when his lips parted from Mary's and they basked in the congratulatory celebration from their friends. Emma hugged them both and they gathered together, as the fireworks to end the festivities began. For the moment, there was another victory for the side of good, even if the war between good and evil was far from over...


	28. Trial By Fire, Pt 1

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 28: Trial By Fire, Pt. 1

The past couple weeks since Miner's Day and David's proposal had been surreal for Mary Margaret. Surreal in the best way possible. Even with the trial looming over them, it hadn't dampened her joy or happiness. Even with the morning of the trial upon them. Just waking up in David's arms lessened her trepidation a bit. And they all had done their best to distract her the last couple weeks.

Stephanie was all over helping her with planning the wedding and seemed really excited. Mary had already asked Emma to be her maid of honor and Stephanie a bridesmaid. And while Emma was excited for the wedding, she gladly handed many of the duties of a maid of honor over to Stephanie, for Emma didn't pretend to know much about planning a wedding.

But first, that morning, they faced the beginning of the trial that with any luck would put Damon Tromera in prison

Mary and Stephanie both had substitutes covering their classes for the week and Emma had the station's phone forwarded to her cell. Mary was almost too nervous to eat, but nevertheless, they found themselves at the diner for breakfast that morning.

"I know you're probably nervous, but I have hot chocolates with cinnamon and pancakes for the future Mr. and Mrs. Nolan," Ruby said, as she set the plates and cups down for them.

"Thanks Ruby," Mary replied, as the waitress put plates and cups in front of Emma and Stephanie as well.

As they finished breakfast, Albert Spencer waltzed into the diner with Mitchell Herman and Damon Tromera.

"Waitress…we need three coffees to go," Spencer bellowed, while Mitchell Herman was silent with a glare fixed on them. That had little to do with the trial though. He blamed them when Sean moved out a few weeks ago and in with Ashley. It was hard and they didn't have much, but they were happy. Mitchell was upset his son was working at the cannery and had enrolled only part time in night classes online, instead of going full time to law school. David suspected that when the curse broke and his memories were returned, King Christopher would feel ashamed for his actions. Back in their land, he had loved Ella and his son dearly. A grandchild was something the King would have been overjoyed to have. For now, they all would remain on the receiving end of his scrutiny, as he defended Damon Tromera's deplorable acts.

Mary focused her attention away from their steely gazes. She was determined not to let any of her fear show and fortunately, with David's arms around her, that was a little easier.

They left with their coffee and David paid their check, before they left for the courthouse as well. They only hoped that even in a town run by Regina and these same cronies they were going against, that justice would prevail.

~*~

Henry sat alone at a table per usual during recess. None of the other kids ever wanted anything to do with him. He was the Mayor's kid, which didn't help, but it was mostly because he was the weird kid that believed fairy tales were real. He lived on the tales in his book and often imagined what it might be like to live in the land his grandparents came from. He imagined him and Emma living in their castle with them, but at this point, he would have settled for getting to live with them at the loft.

"Hey kid…" August said, as he approached.

"Oh...hi August," Henry replied.

"Do you always sit and mope during recess?" he asked. Henry shrugged.

"Not really...Miss Blanchard usually talks to me," he replied.

"Ah...and you miss her today," August surmised.

"Yeah...Jim is nice but it's not the same," he said.

"None of the other kids will play with you?" August asked.

"Would you play with the kid that thought fairy tales were real?" Henry asked incredulously and August chuckled.

"I guess not...I used to lie to myself and pretend they weren't real just to fit in with the crowd," he admitted. Henry cocked his head to the side.

"How do you know so much about my book?" Henry asked suspiciously. August shrugged.

"I'm a writer...I make it my business to know a lot about books," he said vaguely.

"My Mom says you can't be trusted," Henry replied bluntly. August allowed himself a small, amused smile.

"She is probably right, but you and I have one thing in common," he stated.

"What's that?" Henry asked.

"We want the curse to be broken," August answered, as he stood up and walked away, leaving Henry to ponder their conversation.

~*~

With the judge seated, the rest of the courtroom sat as well. Mitchell Herman stood and approached the jury of twelve to make his opening statement. David recognized Marco and Tom Clark among the jurors, so he was confident that was two in their favor. However, the other ten were not people he recognized and knew it was possible they could go either way. Emma had warned him if the jury became deadlocked, then the judge could declare a mistrial, meaning Damon would walk. Gold had reluctantly admitted that this was probably what Mitchell Herman was striving for and he was worried about that. But he didn't let it show, for he knew Mary was already worried enough.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury…" he started off.

"We are here today, not to determine whether my client's actions were wrong, but rather if he should pay the steep penalty that is being sought by the prosecution," Mitchell began.

"I don't think I have to tell you how unprecedented it is to try a case that does not have the full support of the district attorney. In fact, it is unheard of. But Mr. Gold has proceeded to supersede Mr. Spencer and is funding his client's witch hunt," Mitchell continued.

"He's got to be kidding," David hissed, ready to jump out of his seat. But Gold held his hand up to halt him.

"Is my client perfect? I should say not, but I think by the end of this trial, you will be unable to convict him of these heinous charges and realize that in the heat of the moment, scorned by years of rejection by Mr. Gold's client, he acted rashly," Mitchell added.

My client is an upstanding member of this community and I believe the punishment of life in prison is too much. It is my belief that you will agree with me by the end of this trial," Mitchell concluded, as he sat down.

"That's a crazy, bull crap defense if I've ever heard one," Emma muttered.

"And one easily ripped to shreds," Gold agreed, as he stood and approached the jury, walking with his cane.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Herman would have you believe that all this is just a misunderstanding between my clients and Mr. Tromera," Gold began.

"He would, if he thought he could pull it off, have you believe Mr. Tromera is the victim in all this. But even he knows that is ludicrous," Gold continued.

"Mr. Herman's client is undeniably a predator, who has stalked one of my client's for years. He is unwilling to accept that Miss Blanchard has no romantic interest in him. And when she began to date another man, he snapped and tried to kill that man. And when this trial is over, you will see Mr. Tromera as my clients see him. A monster. A monster that must be locked away for the protection of all," Gold finished, as he took a seat.

"Opening arguments have been heard. Mr. Gold, since you are acting as the prosecution in this case, you will call the first witness," the judge stated.

"Thank you, Your Honor. The prosecution calls Sheriff Emma Swan to the stand," he said. Emma squeezed Mary's hand and then took her place on the witness bench where the Bailiff swore her in.

"Ms. Swan...can you describe the events on the evening of November eighteenth for the jury?" he asked.

"It was the night of the election. Mary Margaret and David went missing and I went to investigate," Emma stated.

"How did you know where to look?" Gold asked.

"They walk their dog almost every evening out by the Toll Bridge," Emma replied.

"Is it well known by many that they frequent the Toll Bridge in the evenings?" he questioned.

"Yes," she replied.

"Objection! Speculation," Mitchell interjected.

"Your honor, I can find several witnesses that will say this is common knowledge," Gold countered.

"Overruled...I'll allow it," the judge answered.

"What did you discover when you reached the Toll Bridge that night?" Gold asked, as Emma began to recount the events.

~*~

Despite the rain, they made it out to the Toll Bridge and Pongo took off across the bridge and started barking, as Archie hurried after him.

"Emma! It's Wilby...we found him!" Archie called, as the blonde hurried across the bridge.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

"He's breathing, so I think so," Archie replied. With a gloved hand, Emma picked up the small dart next to him.

"Tranq dart," she said, as she bagged it.

"Can you take Wilby back and put him in my car?" she asked. The ginger haired man nodded.

"Take Pongo," Archie offered, as he lifted Wilby and carried him back to Emma's car.

~*~

"So the dog had been tranquilized?" Gold asked.

"Yes...the lab later determined it was a tranquilizer dart," Emma confirmed.

"At this time, I'd like to enter the dart into evidence as prosecution evidence exhibit A," Gold stated, as the dark in the bag was held up for the jury to see.

"So noted...please continue, Mr. Gold," the judge stated.

"Thank you, Your Honor. Sheriff Swan, can you continue recounting the events of that evening for the jury?" he asked. Emma nodded and began to tell what had happened when she arrived at the burning cabin.

~*~

"You're going to pay...I was going to make it quick, but now I'm going to torture you until you beg me to kill you and I'm going to make that little bitch watch!" he screamed psychotically, as he trudged toward them, as Mary started to stir.

"David…" she murmured, as he knelt down in the mud and held her close. He knew he had to keep going, despite the pain and his weakened state. Mary gasped at the horrifying sight that was Damon and buried her face in David's shirt.

"Time to suffer, pretty boy," he hissed, until he heard the cocking of a gun.

"Give me a reason, asshole, because I'd love to blow your brains out," Emma growled, as she held her gun on him. Damon clenched his teeth and put his hands up reluctantly.

"You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent," she said, as she holstered her weapon and cuffed him.

"He set me on fire...you should arrest him!" Damon growled.

"Oh yeah? And I suppose your fists just accidentally landed on David," she growled back.

"You set the fire, you bastard. After you chased us through the woods. You hit Mary too...you're lucky you're still breathing," David shouted.

"He's right. That alone makes me wish you had given me that reason to shoot you," Emma added.

"David...Mary...we've got an ambulance waiting. It's a bit of a trek. Do you think you can make it?" Archie asked.

"We'll be okay," David replied, as they were both helped along by Ruby, Leroy, and Archie.

"We found Wilby and put him in Emma's car," Archie said.

"Thank you," David said gratefully.

When they got closer, the paramedics met them halfway. A handcuffed Damon was put into one, while David and Mary were put in the other and rushed to the hospital.

~*~

"So when you arrived, you observed injuries to the victims, Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan," Gold stated. Emma nodded.

"Mary's were minor, but she was absolutely terrified and David's were more serious," Emma stated.

"Thank you Sheriff Swan, no further questions," Gold stated, as he sat down.

"Your witness, Mr. Mitchell," the judge declared.

"Sheriff Swan...on the night in question, did Mr. Tromera suffer any injuries?" Mitchell asked.

"Yes...he had second and third degree burns on a third of his body," Emma replied.

"So you could say that Mr. Tromera suffered even more severe injuries than Mr. Nolan," he stated.

"Yes...but," Emma started to say.

"A simple yes or no is sufficient, Sheriff," Mitchell stated, as he picked up the medical report.

"According to Dr. Whale's findings, Mr. Tromera suffered more than just burns. He suffered from several blows to the chest and face, caused by David Nolan's fists, yet Mr. Gold would have you believe Mr. Nolan is the victim," Mitchell stated.

"Objection! Mr. Tromera's injuries inflicted by David Nolan were in self defense!" Gold protested.

"That's pure speculation, your honor. None of us were present during this altercation. It's Mr. Tromera's word against Mr. Nolan's," Mitchell stated.

"Sustained...tread lightly, Mr. Herman and either ask a question or move on," the judge warned.

"Of course. Sheriff Swan, is it possible that Mr. Nolan used unnecessary force when trying subdue Mr. Tromera?" he asked.

"No," Emma answered sternly.

"How do you know? You did not witness their fight," Mitchell reminded.

"Because I know David. He sustained those injuries defending himself and Mary Margaret," Emma said. Mitchell smirked.

"So you "know" David. That's hardly a convincing argument, Sheriff," Mitchell stated.

"Objection, Your Honor. That is for the jury to decide," Gold protested.

"Sustained. Ask a question, Mr. Mitchell or move on," the judge warned.

"The defense has no more questions for this witness," he relented, as he took a seat.

"Sheriff...you may step down," the judge stated, as Emma returned to her seat.

"The prosecution may call its next witness," the judge continued.

"I call Deputy David Nolan to the stand," Gold stated. He squeezed Mary's hand and took to the stand where he was sworn in.

"Mr. Nolan, as one of the victims of the evening in question, please tell us how you sustained your injuries," Gold requested. David thought back to that night and began to recall what had happened.

~*~

"We were taking a walk with our dog, Wilby, out by the Toll Bridge as we do most evenings. We noticed that storm clouds were rolling in though, so we were about to head back to town. It was getting close to the time for the debate and we didn't want to miss Emma's speech," he began.

Suddenly a rumble of thunder boomed above them.

"Uh oh...we should probably head back," she mentioned, as they watched the dark storm clouds swirl in the sky.

"Yeah...it will be time for the debate soon anyway," he replied, as Wilby barked and took off.

"Wilby!" David called, as he took her hand and they chased after him. But when they found him, he was laying unconscious on the ground.

"Wilby!" David cried, as they knelt beside him. David pulled out a dark from his fur and Mary gasped.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Mary...you need to run," he said, as rain started to pelt them.

"What? I'm not leaving you," she protested.

"I have to carry Wilby back. I'll slow you down. Go back to town and find Emma. I'll be right behind you," he insisted.

"David…" she protested.

"Mary please…" he pleaded. Reluctantly, she turned to leave, but gasped, as Damon Tromera stood on the bridge in her path.

"You won't be going anywhere, Miss Blanchard, except for back to my club with me. After I get rid of him, of course," Damon said coldly.

"What did you do to Wilby?" she demanded to know.

"The mutt will be fine. The same won't be said for your lover in a few moments though," Damon replied, as he approached. David put Wilby under a tree to shelter him somewhat from the rain, before he got in front of her.

"Mary...run…" he commanded.

"I am not leaving you with this monster!" she cried, as rain now poured down on them.

Damon kept approaching and David still stood defiantly in his way. The dark haired man raised his fist and threw the first punch. David ducked and tackled him to the ground, delivering a punch himself. This one connected and Damon growled, as he punched in return. David felt pain explode in his head, as he briefly saw the shiny metal on Damon's knuckles. He was dazed, allowing Damon to get in another punch and he threw David off, as Mary screamed for him. The blonde tasted blood and his vision blurred.

"Mary...run…" he pleaded. But instead, she spied a large stick and picked it up. David's head swam in pain after another punch and Damon backed away. He turned his attention toward Mary Margaret and was beamed across the face with a stick. He growled in pain and held his face, as she scrambled to help David to his feet.

"Mary...you need to run! I'll just slow you down," he groaned.

"David...I am not leaving you behind," she repeated, as they trudged through the muddy forest. It was dark now and rain was coming down in sheet. They could barely see anything and she yelped when David cried out, as Damon hit him from behind.

"No!" she cried, as they went rolling to the ground. David saw black spots in his vision, as Damon buried a fist in his gut, knocking the wind out of him.

~*~

"At this time, the prosecution would like to introduce prosecution evidence exhibit B. The brass knuckles Damon Tromera was wearing that evening. You'll find that they come with a lab report confirming that they are stained with David Nolan's blood," Gold stated.

"This evidence is accepted by the court," the judge agreed.

"Mr. Nolan, please continue recounting the events that evening," Gold urged.

"I blacked out for a bit, but then found Mary. She told me Damon had run off, because a wolf attacked him. We kept moving to try to get out of the rain and that's when we found our way to the cabin," David explained.

"And what happened once you reached the cabin?" Gold asked.

"We built a fire and tried to get warm and dry. Mary found a first aid kit and started to treat my injuries," David replied.

"And then?" Gold prompted.

"She didn't get very far, because Damon found us. He broke down the door and I grabbed the fireplace poker to defend us," David said, recalling those frightening moments.

~*~

David gripped the poker and raised it before them.

"Do yourself a favor and step aside and maybe you'll live to see another day," Damon threatened.

"Like hell I will. If you think I'll let you hurt Mary, then you have another thing coming," David threatened back.

"Mary...unless you'd like to have his blood on your hands, then you should save yourself that pain and come with me," Damon said.

"She's not going anywhere with you," David growled. He smirked and made a show of his considerable strength by breaking a wooden chair over his knee so he could use one of the legs as a weapon.

~*~

"Had he hit me with that, I probably wouldn't have made it. But Mary saved me by hitting him over the head. Unfortunately, that didn't stop him," David stated.

"Objection...Mr. Nolan is speculating about things he does not know. It cannot be determined if he would have died or not," Mitchell objected.

"Sustained...the jury will disregard Mr. Nolan's speculation," the judge agreed.

"What happened then?" Gold questioned.

"He lit the leg of the chair on fire and tossed it onto the rug. He backhanded Mary and I tackled him. We fought each other and I managed to push him off. Then Mary and I escaped the cabin. Emma showed up not long after that," David stated.

"Thank you Mr. Nolan, no further questions," Gold stated, as Mitchell stood up and approached.

"Mr. Nolan...when you pushed Mr. Tromera off you, where did he fall?" Mitchell asked. David gave him an icy glare.

"Into the fire," he answered.

"So...you're the one that pushed Mr. Tromera into the fire," Mitchell stated.

"Objection! The witness was fighting for his life," Gold interjected.

"I'm merely making sure the jury is aware of all the facts, Your Honor," Mitchell stated.

"Overruled," the judge agreed.

"You were angry, weren't you Mr. Nolan?" Mitchell asked.

"Of course I was angry. He attacked us!" David replied hotly.

"So you pushed him into the fire," Mitchell responded.

"He hit the woman I love! He planned to trap me in that burning cabin!" David exclaimed.

"Mr. Nolan...you will reign in your temper or you will be removed from the courtroom," the judge warned and Mitchell smirked smugly.

"Or perhaps with that fire, you saw an opportunity to eliminate my client and thus end his pursuit of your girlfriend...and any competition he presented," Mitchell goaded.

"Objection! Mr. Nolan is not the one on trial here!" Gold exclaimed.

"Withdrawn, no further questions," Mitchell said smugly, as he returned to his seat.

"The court will recess for one hour for lunch. Dismissed," the judge said, as he slammed his gavel down. David seethed, as he returned to his seat and Mary hugged him tightly. She saw Damon glaring smugly at them and quickly averted her eyes away from the monster. She knew that after lunch it would be her turn to testify and she was admittedly terrified, but anxious to tell the jury exactly what Damon had done and said to her on that night...


	29. Trial By Fire, Pt 2

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 29: Trial By Fire, Pt 2

Mary paced a bit, as they waited in the lobby of the courtroom. None of them were very hungry, so they sat on the benches at the park nearby. David felt a bit helpless, since he knew there was only so much he could do to ease her nerves. He grabbed her hand and she looked at him.

"I'm sorry," she said. He smiled gently.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I just wish I could protect you from all this," he said.

"I know...but if I don't testify, Damon walks. And even if I do...he could still walk," she fretted.

"I know...I wish I could promise you that he'll pay for what he did. I hate that I can't," he said, as he gently pulled her toward him and then down into his lap.

"But I can promise that he will never hurt you...I'll do everything I can to make sure of it," he promised. She smiled.

"I know you will, my love," she replied, as she kissed him tenderly.

"I wish you didn't have to testify and relive that night," he said.

"Me either...but I can do this, because I know you're there," she said confidently. He smiled.

"That's another thing I can promise. Us...we're going to be together, no matter what. We're going to get married and be a family forever," he said, as he laced his fingers with hers and then kissed her again, this time in long, passion filled pecks to her lips. She kept her eyes closed and she relished being close to him, as he pressed his forehead against hers. And they stayed that way for several moments, until it was time to go back to the courthouse.

~*~

Regina glared at them from the window of her office, which had a perfect view of the park. Her hatred for them burned inside her just as passionately as ever.

Too many things had changed and even the bright spot that these two idiots could lose the trial wasn't enough to put her at ease.

First, that woman, Stephanie Kore, had come to town and practically taken Mary Margaret under her protective wing for reasons Regina wasn't able to discern. She had Sidney dig up all the records on this Ms. Kore that could be found. What he had found has been perfectly ordinary and well ordered records, professionally anyway. All the necessary credentials were in place. A teaching degree and a PHD in Botany, both from prestigious schools in Boston. But her personal life was generic. Her records provided vague information, like that she was born and raised in upstate New York, before moving to Boston for college. She never married, had no children, and seemingly kept to herself, despite being supposedly gifted in her field. And Regina was convinced it was all fake. She just needed to figure out how to get that information.

Then there was the new stranger that had rode into town on a motorcycle. She knew even less about this August W. Booth and that irked her to no end. Sidney's research on him had turned up even less. A sealed juvenile record, no documentation that he had ever graduated from any school, and no IRS records of him...which was just bizarre. Someone who was off the grid was a dangerous thing. Even the people of Storybrooke all had IRS records. When the curse had dropped them in this land, it had seamlessly inserted their curse identities into the records systems. For all intents and purposes, if a government agency happened to look at records for someone in Storybrooke, those records would always appear legitimate and in order; a perk of the curse being so intricate and efficient, on the surface anyway. If someone were to ever look closer at Storybrooke from outside, oddities would appear. But Regina was not too concerned. For twenty-eight years, they weren't given any thought, much like any other small, unassuming town. But these strangers did concern her, as did all the changes.

Her intense glower on her step-daughter and her idiot Prince didn't dissipate, as she watched them kiss.

When David had proposed to her a week ago, in front of all, she had been enraged. No matter what she did, it seemed that separating them was impossible. Even her plot to give Belle false memories had backfired on her, for Gold seemed just fine with having Lacey on his arm as he did Belle. Lacey seemed drawn to the darkness in Gold as well, which she had not anticipated. Jefferson seemed a bit more sane too, as it seemed having people in his life kept his demons at bay and Henry continued to pull away. Despite these other interlopers, it all stemmed back to Emma Swan.

If Damon was acquitted, that would be a blow to the two idiots and she could assuredly find new ways to torture the others. A few ideas about that sprang into her mind and she smirked deviously, as she looked back across the street. And she caught sight of something red. Taking out a pair binoculars, she looked through them and spotted Stephanie, several feet away, talking to a woman with red hair. Regina gasped, as she suddenly recognized her.

"The mermaid...what the hell is she doing here?" she growled.

"How the hell did she get here?" Regina wondered, as she knew the mermaid didn't get swept up by the curse, nor did she come over the town line, which meant it was probably by sea and would have required magic of some kind. And she was deep in conversation with Stephanie Kore. Perhaps there was a way to find out the truth about Ms. Kore, after all. Regina smirked and picked up the phone.

"I have a job for you," she said, once the person on the other end answered.

~*~

"So...things are good?" Stephanie asked. Ariel smiled.

"They are. This land is strange, but the filing job in the cannery office is fairly simple. And I get to be close to Eric. Thank you again for convincing the manager to give me the job," Ariel replied. Stephanie smiled.

"You're very welcome, Adrianna Brooke," Stephanie replied, using the curse name she had come up with for the redhead. Ariel smiled and saw Snow in the near distance.

"It must be so hard for you...that Snow doesn't know," Ariel mentioned.

"It is, but I'm hoping being friends first will help her accept me. The curse will not last forever and she'll remember. So will Eric," she assured. Ariel nodded.

"I can't wait...especially for Regina to pay for all she's done to everyone," the former mermaid replied.

"Regina has already lost a lot of ground. Anything she does now just delays the inevitable. Emma will break the curse," Stephanie promised, as she checked the time.

"I have to go. Take care," she said.

"You too," Ariel replied, as she started back for the cannery.

As she rounded the corner, someone grabbed her from behind and put a cloth over the redhead's mouth, forcing her to breathe in the chloroform. She collapsed and was dragged away to a van nearby.

~*~

Court resumed and the judge was seated again.

"Mr. Gold...you may call your next witness," the judge stated.

"Thank you, Your Honor. The prosecution calls Mary Margaret Blanchard to the stand," he stated, as the raven haired beauty stood up. David squeezed her hand and she approached the bench where the Bailiff swore her in. Mr. Gold approached and rested his weight on his cane.

"Miss Blanchard...we have heard about the events of that night from Mr. Nolan. Is it true that Mr. Tromera came to the Toll Bridge that night?" Gold asked.

"Yes," Mary answered.

"Was Mr. Tromera armed?" Gold asked.

"He had a shiny metal device on his hand. I was later told that they were brass knuckles," Mary stated. Gold held up an evidence bag.

"Are these what Mr. Tromera was wearing on his knuckles that night?" Gold questioned. Mary looked at them and shuddered slightly, as they were still stained red. Red that she knew was David's blood.

"Yes," Mary answered. Let the court reflect that Ms. Blanchard has identified this weapon as one Mr. Tromera was sporting on his knuckles on the night in question," Gold said.

"So recorded," the judge agreed.

"Now, Miss Blanchard, tell the court in your own words about the events of that night," he requested. She took a deep breath and flashed back to that frightening night.

~*~

"Mary...run…" he pleaded. But instead, she spied a large stick and picked it up. David's head swam in pain after another punch and Damon backed away. He turned his attention toward Mary Margaret and was beamed across the face with a stick. He growled in pain and held his face, as she scrambled to help David to his feet.

"Mary...you need to run! I'll just slow you down," he groaned.

"David...I am not leaving you behind," she repeated, as they trudged through the muddy forest. It was dark now and rain was coming down in sheets. They could barely see anything and she yelped when David cried out, as Damon hit him from behind.

"No!" she cried, as they went rolling to the ground. David saw black spots in his vision, as Damon buried a fist in his gut, knocking the wind out of him. But he fought the urge to pass out, as the monster stalked toward Mary and shoved her against a tree. She sobbed, as he put his large hand around her slender neck and forced her to look at him.

"So fair...even soaking wet in this rain. I can't wait to finally have you," he hissed, as he used his free hand to fumble with the rope in his bag. Mary growled and kneed him between his legs. He groaned and she tried to push him away, but he pinned her with his weight.

"You'll learn you place, Mary. I'm going to teach you," he growled.

"Did you enjoy my handiwork at your lovely little garden today?" he questioned.

"It was you," she uttered. He smirked.

"Yes...but that was your blood. I swiped a bag of it from the hospital. And you know when I was smattering those stupid little flowers you love with it, I had this insatiable urge to taste your blood. So I did...and I found it to be the sweetest nectar I've ever tasted. It left me wanting more," he whispered in her ear and her skin crawled at the feeling of his hot breath on her neck.

"You're sick..." she spat. He chuckled at that.

"Yes...I suppose I am," he replied.

~*~

Mary was practically shaking when she finished recalling the memory.

"So...he admitted to vandalizing your flowers earlier that day, using a bag of your own donated blood, which he stole?" Gold questioned.

"Yes," she answered.

"Objection...this is hearsay, Your Honor," Mitchell interjected.

"No, Your Honor...Sheriff Swan recovered a security tape of Mr. Tromera visiting the hospital wing where the donated blood is kept," Gold argued.

"Which is circumstantial at best. I have viewed this tape and Mr. Tromera did visit that room, but there was no indication he took anything," Mitchell protested.

"Your Honor, a lab test done later on the flowers confirmed that it was Miss Blanchard's blood and the discarded bag was found at the scene," Gold countered.

"Which does not definitively prove that my client did it," Mitchell objected.

"He is correct, Mr. Gold," the judge agreed.

"Your Honor, he admitted it," Gold stated.

"So says Miss Blanchard. It's hearsay," Mitchell countered.

"Mr. Herman is correct. The jury will disregard this," the judge ordered. But the jury had still heard the disturbing account and Gold hoped it stuck with them.

"Miss Blanchard...please tell us what happened once you and David reached the cabin," Gold requested. Mary nodded and continued recalling the events that night.

~*~

For Mary, she didn't remember a time seeing him like this before and this man terrified her to her core in a way she was sure nothing ever would. She didn't have to wonder about the things he wanted to do. She was extremely clear on everything he had planned for them. She feared for them both; for the horror that awaited her at his hands, but she feared for her beloved more. This monster had every intention of murdering the man she loved and she was beside herself with so many emotions that it nearly made her faint. But she kept her feet rooted to the ground and her grip on David, for she feared him disappearing if she let go even just a little.

Her heart hammered in her chest, as the malicious man limped inside and her head hurt in a way that couldn't just be a headache. It was more like someone was screaming at her inside her subconscious to do something, to protect her love; to fight for him. How she was supposed to do that against this animal of a man, she did not know, but she found her eyes searching for anything that could be a weapon.

David gripped the poker and raised it before them.

"Do yourself a favor and step aside and maybe you'll live to see another day," Damon threatened.

"Like hell I will. If you think I'll let you hurt Mary, then you have another thing coming," David threatened back.

"Mary...unless you'd like to have his blood on your hands, then you should save yourself that pain and come with me," Damon said.

"She's not going anywhere with you," David growled. He smirked and made a show of his considerable strength by breaking a wooden chair over his knee so he could use one of the legs as a weapon. Mary yelped when he did, never imagining someone could have such strength. It was almost inhuman. As David circled the monster before them, Mary noticed a sculpture on the mantel. It was a wooden likeness of a spinning wheel and she picked it up, ready to spring in at the right moment to use it.

David swiped the poker at the other man, but he dodged and made his own strike, narrowly missing David's head. The monster of a man brought the wooden stake down on him again and David blocked in a high arc with his weapon. But Damon kneed him in the stomach and hit him on the back of the neck. Mary cried out, as he went down and their tormentor hovered over him with a devious smile.

"You should turn away, Mary. This is going to get messy," he hissed, but felt excruciating pain, as she hit him in the head with a blunt object. He held his head and fell to his knees. How it didn't drop him completely, Mary didn't know.

"That was a very big mistake, Mary," he growled, but they didn't waste any time and she helped David up, as they started toward the door. But Damon reached out and grabbed her leg, tripping her. David shoved him away and tried to go to her, but Damon hammered his fist into David's gut, tossing him away again. Mary watched the monster fearfully, as he lit the chair leg on fire and then tossed it onto the rug nearby, quickly igniting it.

"What are you doing?!" Mary cried.

"Making sure lover boy can't escape this time," he growled, as he grabbed her arm. She dug her heels and tried to stall him.

"That's it...you've left him no choice. I didn't want to do this, Mary, but you will be taught your place," he screamed at her, before angrily backhanding her. She fell to the floor in a painful daze and David saw red like he never had before.

~*~

"You must have been terrified," Gold stated.

"I was...I thought he was going to kill David," Mary answered.

"But you were also scared for yourself. What did you fear from him, Miss Blanchard?" Gold questioned. She swallowed thickly and Damon's eyes were shooting through her.

"He said he was going to take me back to his club against my will," Mary revealed.

"And did he tell you what he was going to do to you?" Gold asked. She took a sharp breath.

"He said he couldn't wait to have me and that I would be taught my place," she stated.

"Have you," Gold repeated.

"I know this is difficult, Miss Blanchard, but what do you think he meant by that?" Gold asked. Mary closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek. Mr. Gold graciously offered her a tissue.

"I think he meant to...rape me," she uttered in a trembling voice, causing rumblings through the court room

"Objection!" Mitchell protested and the judge slammed the gavel down.

"Order," he demanded.

"Your Honor, the witness is speculating!" Mitchell cried.

"The witness is recounting the events and how she felt," Gold argued.

"Sustained. I have to agree with Mr. Herman. The jury will disregard Miss Blanchard's speculative statement," the judge ordered.

"The court may negate your speculation, but it does not change the things you felt that night and how that fear was caused by Mr. Tromera, is that right, Miss Blanchard?" Gold asked.

"Objection!" Mitchell exclaimed.

"Withdrawn...no further questions," Gold replied, as he took his seat.

"Your witness, Mr. Herman," the judge stated, as Mr. Herman approached the witness stand.

"Miss Blanchard...how long have you volunteered at the hospital?" he asked. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"For many years...I guess I'm not exactly sure how many," she replied.

"Many...many years, ladies and gentlemen," he stated.

"Objection...I fail to see what relevance any of his has, Your Honor," Gold protested.

"Sustained. Mr. Herman...where are you going with this?" the judge questioned.

"Oh, I have a point, Your Honor," he assured.

"Then make it," the judge said shortly.

"You happily participated in the volunteer program, a program which Mr. Tromera funds, yet how many times did you reject him?" Mitchell asked.

"Objection...Miss Blanchard's love life has no bearing on this case," Gold protested.

"Overruled, but tread lightly, Mr. Herman," the judge warned.

"Mr. Tromera asked you out numerous times, but you rejected him each time, didn't you?" Mitchell asked.

"Yes...I wasn't interested in him and did not appreciate his continued advances," Mary replied.

"Or perhaps you enjoyed stringing the poor man along," Mitchell countered.

"Objection!" Gold hissed.

"Withdrawn," Mitchell said quickly.

"How many times did Mr. Nolan ask you out before you agreed to a date?" Mitchell questioned.

"I said yes the first time," Mary replied confidently.

"Then perhaps you can understand how Mr. Tromera might have felt. After all, a person can only take so much cruel rejection," Mitchell hissed.

"Objection! The witness is not on trial, nor is she responsible for Mr. Tromera's hurt feelings," Gold growled.

"Sustained. You are out of line, Mr. Herman," the judge admonished.

"I apologize, your Honor," Mitchell stated, as he picked up an evidence bag.

"Do you recognize this object?" he asked.

"It's a stick," Mary answered.

"Yes, this is the stick you used to bludgeon Mr. Tromera on the night in question...isn't it?" Mitchell asked.

"He was attacking David!" Mary exclaimed.

"Your Honor, please advise the witness to answer with a yes or no," Mitchell said.

"He's correct, Miss Blanchard. Please provide a yes or no answer," the judge advised.

"Yes," Mary answered through clenched teeth.

"You claim that it was self defense, but perhaps you saw an opportunity to rid yourself of my client for good. After all, you yourself said you were tired of his constant advances," Mitchell stated.

"Objection!" Gold protested.

"Withdrawn...no further questions," Mitchell replied, as he returned to his seat.

"If there are no more witnesses, then we will hear closing arguments," the judge stated. Gold rose from his seat and approached the jury.

"You have heard clear testimony today about the events that took place on that stormy November night. Mr. Tromera sought out David Nolan and Mary Margaret Blanchard. His plan required a tranquilizer dart to eliminate the obstacle of their dog, which most certainly suggests per-meditation on his part. He attacked them, chased them, and intended to harm them. They fought him in self defense for their lives, as any person would and there is little doubt that Mr. Tromera intended to kill Mr. Nolan and force himself on Miss Blanchard. He has stalked her for years, proving without a shadow of a doubt that he is a predator and should be locked up for what he did. As conscious citizens, who care about your fellow townspeople, I know you'll make the right decision," Gold stated, as he took his seat and Mitchell approached.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the question is not did Mr. Tromera act rashly and inappropriately on the night in question...because he did," Mitchell began.

"But the question is...does he deserve to go to prison for it? And the answer is unequivocally no. Years of rejection has taken a heavy toll on my client. And the events of that night were escalated by Mr. Nolan's hot temper and Miss Blanchard's continued rebuking. They want him to go to prison. But my client needs counseling instead. So don't deny him that, because he is a generous and valued member of this community. Make the right decision and acquit. Sentence him to counseling and community service if you must. But not prison. Thank you," Mitchell stated.

"At this time, the jury will be sequestered until which time they reach a verdict. Until then, we are adjourned the judge ordered, as he slammed the gavel down.

David squeezed Mary's hand. All they could do now was hope...


	30. Trial By Fire, Pt 3

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 30: Trial By Fire, Pt 3

Once the jury was sequestered for the deliberation, they knew all they could do was wait. They decided to pick up takeout from Granny's and take it home to the loft. The day had been mentally and emotionally exhausting. So it wasn't surprising that David and Mary fell asleep on the couch, curled in each other's arms not long after dinner. For Emma though, she was wired from the day's events and Stephanie seemed to be as well.

As Emma covered her parents with a quilt, she glanced at the woman that was supposed to be her grandmother.

"How long do you think it will take for the jury to come back?" Stephanie asked.

"Hard to say. If they're not complete morons, they should be back any time with a guilty verdict," Emma replied.

"And even if they do, you feel we could still lose somehow," Stephanie reasoned.

"Do you really think Regina will let Damon be locked up? She never lets my parents win, not truly," the blonde muttered, as she kept stealing glances at the other woman.

"You and I haven't really had a chance to talk one on one. You can ask me anything, Emma," Stephanie told her.

"You were forced to give my mother up.." Emma blurted out. She nodded.

"It was the best and worst day of my life," Stephanie said, as she got teary.

"Was my mother really born in the Underworld?" Emma asked uncomfortably.

"I'm afraid so...not really my choice either. But despite being in a place of death, things always grow around me. My emotions can affect the flora and weather around me as well. As I birthed my little Snow, the snowdrops sprouted all around my chamber. And when I gave her to my mother to save her from Hades and Deimos, I set off a fierce snowstorm in a month where spring was on the brink and plunged the Enchanted Forest into the longest and worst winter it had ever seen," she explained.

"That's kind of what I don't get. Deimos wanted to kill my mother when she was born and then became obsessed with her," Emma said.

"The Ambrosia leaves he consumed twisted him even further. It's hard to say why his mission to kill her became a mission to possess her instead. All that truly matters is stopping him though," Stephanie replied.

"If I break the curse, then he gets his memories back," Emma said.

"Yes, but so does your Mother. They went against him once and he was torn to shreds. Somehow, he came back from that, but I will be there this time and I will ensure he doesn't survive," Stephanie promised. Emma nodded.

"Me too," Emma agreed.

~*~

The Dreamscape

Snow hummed in her throat, as he kissed her deeply and they slowly came down from the high of lovemaking. They were thoroughly entwined beneath the bedclothes and Snow had no desire to untangle from him, though she knew Emma would probably be there soon. She seemed to be up late again though, leaving them to their own devices, which usually led to situations like this.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, as he gently caressed her beautiful face.

"Many things...like how happy you make me and how much I love you," she replied.

"And I love you, my darling. I never imagined ever being this happy. I know we haven't exactly had the life we pictured, but this dreamscape has been a blessing," he said.

"It has...and we will have that life, I have faith. Emma will break the curse," she replied, as they were silent for a moment.

"Do you think things are bad for our counterparts?" Snow asked curiously. He shrugged.

"I don't know...she said we're together. I know that if we're together, things can't be all that bad," he said, gazing at her fondly. She smiled back.

"True...but we live in a place where Regina and her cronies are in charge. And Emma always seems so reluctant to tell us things," Snow mentioned.

"I know...I think she's just trying to protect us though," he reasoned.

"I want to know...I want to know what we're facing," she insisted. He smiled and kissed her forehead again.

"Then we'll ask her to tell us," he promised, as he captured her lips again at that, kissing her with tender passion. His lips slowly moved to her neck and she lost herself in the sensations his lips were awakening in her again.

"Charming…" she whispered breathlessly. Their lips parted and they gazed at each other with ardent captivation; an ardent captivation that had not faded in twenty-eight years. Passion swelled again and hands roamed, as their kisses became feverish and lovemaking ensued again, as if often did, and they lay entwined again sometime later. It was several hours until they finally heard Emma and put their robes on, as they went to greet her. She looked tired and worried, unable to hide her anxiousness.

"Emma...what's going on?" David asked.

"It's...nothing you guys need to worry about," Emma replied. Snow and Charming exchanged a glance, having one of their silent conversations that had always fascinated Emma and irked hera bit, perhaps.

"Sweetheart...we love you for trying to protect us, but you don't have to. We can handle whatever it is," Snow assured.

"Well...I may be the Savior, but no matter what steps we make, it always seems like Regina gets the upper hand. That monster…" Emma growled and then stopped herself.

"Deimos...he's done something, hasn't he?" David asked. Emma sighed.

"It's a long story...but I'll tell you everything," Emma relented.

~*~

Ariel yelped, as the cloth bag covering her head was removed. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw a dark skinned man before her.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Ariel demanded to know.

"His identity isn't important. That will be all, Sidney," Regina said, as her high heels clicked on the cement floor or the abandoned warehouse.

"You!" Ariel cried and Regina smirked.

"Long time no see, fish girl," the Queen replied.

"What do you want with me?" Ariel questioned.

"Information," Regina revealed.

"I'm not telling you anything!" Ariel hissed back. Regina put on a fake pout.

"Oh...that's too bad, especially for poor Prince Eric...or I guess Ethan Harbor, as he's known here," Regina said, as two hired hands dragged the unconscious, beaten man into the light and tossed him down, causing Ariel to scream.

"Eric…" she cried, as tears clouded her vision.

"Now...if you answer my questions, then Eric will be dropped off at the hospital for medical attention. He has cuts and bruises at best, with no lasting damage done. If you refuse...then I'm afraid my men will just have to drop him in the water. He's unconscious, so he'll drown, especially since you won't be around to save him this time," Regina warned.

"What do you want to know?" Ariel growled.

"How did you get here?" Regina demanded to know.

"I swam," the redhead answered.

"I figured that, but I know the curse's barrier should have kept you out of Storybrooke waters. How did you get past it?" Regina questioned.

"I had help," Ariel answered vaguely.

"From who? It was Stephanie Kore, wasn't it?" Regina growled.

"Yes…" Ariel answered, as her eyes were fixated on Eric.

"Who is she really?" Regina demanded to know.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ariel shrugged.

"Would you like to see his head smashed in? Because that can be arranged," Regina threatened, as the two men loomed over the prone prince.

"She's Persephone!" Ariel shouted. The Queen narrowed her gaze.

"Goddess of the Underworld?" she questioned.

"Queen of the Underworld," Ariel corrected.

"What does the Queen of the Underworld want in Storybrooke?" Regina questioned. Ariel shrugged.

"Tell me...or he's fish bait," she growled.

"She's come to protect her daughter from you!" Ariel revealed.

"Her daughter?" Regina asked in confusion.

"Snow White," Ariel added.

"That's impossible!" Regina exclaimed.

"No...you've been terrorizing the daughter of Persephone all these years and now she's here for retribution," Ariel goaded.

"Snow White is the daughter of King Leopold and Queen Eva," Regina refuted.

"Wrong...she is their adopted daughter. Biologically, she is Persephone's child," Ariel corrected, as the Queen was floored by the information.

"You have what you want. Now let me go," the redhead demanded. Regina smirked.

"Oh no, that's not how this works, dear. I have a very special place prepared for you," Regina leered.

"What are you going to do to me?" the mermaid asked. Her smirk widened and she extracted a hypodermic needle from her purse.

"What is that?" Ariel asked fearfully. But Regina was silent and the needle pierced her neck with a sting. The liquid burned going in and Ariel blacked out.

When she awoke, she didn't know how much time had passed, but she was being wheeled down a stark white corridor and saw Regina walking beside her, heels clicking on the floor.

"This woman is very disturbed, Nurse Ratchet. She must be kept isolated and medicated," Regina stated.

"Of course, Madam Mayor. We'll see to it," the nurse said, as the orderlies place her in an asylum cell and locked her away.

"No...please don't do this," Ariel cried incoherently, as Regina grinned smugly at her through the window.

"Enjoy the psych ward, fish girl. It's your new home now," Regina said, as she walked away with a victorious smile.

~*~

As Mary awoke the next morning, she smiled, as she found herself draped atop David's chest. She watched him sleep and listened to his heartbeat with the gentle, steady rhythm of his breathing. Not surprisingly though, he was slowly roused and those azure eyes she loved getting lost in slowly opened.

"Good morning…" she purred. He smiled.

"Morning...guess we fell asleep on the couch," he said.

"Mmm...I guess we were more drained than we thought," she mentioned and he hummed in agreement. At that moment, they heard a banging in the kitchen.

"Take that, you demon," Emma growled, as she smacked the toaster with a metal spatula. If Emma was awake before them, it made them wonder how much she had actually slept.

"Hey Em...whatcha doin'?" Mary asked. The blonde huffed, as she smacked the toaster once more for good measure.

"This thing is evil. It ate my pop tarts and won't give them up," she growled, making David chuckle.

"Why don't you stop beating the poor toaster and we'll go to Granny's," he suggested.

"Fine...but I think we need to get a new toaster," she agreed. The four of them cleaned up and then headed out to the diner, each wondering what the day would bring.

~*~

Judge Abernathy entered his chambers that morning with coffee in hand and flipped on the lights. He dropped the cup and coffee went spattering everywhere, as Albert Spencer and Damon Tromera stood waiting for him. And Mayor Mills herself sat in his chair.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked with trepidation.

"We're here to make sure justice is properly served, Your Honor," Regina stated.

"It's in the hands of the jury, Madam Mayor," he answered.

"Yes...and that won't do at all," Albert Spencer replied.

"The jury is responsible for overseeing the outcome of the trial," the judge reiterated.

"And as the judge, you have the power to set aside that ruling should it not favor, Mr. Tromera," Regina replied.

"I can't obstruct justice if you don't like the outcome," the judge refused.

"Oh, but you can judge Abernathy and it will be very lucrative if you do," Damon said, as he placed a briefcase on the judge's desk and opened it, showing him a case full of money.

"It's a simple choice. Do as we ask and become a very rich man or refuse and risk having a very bad accident when you least expect it," Albert threatened.

"You can even make it believable by giving me a fine and community service to make it look neat. I'd say ten-thousand is a nice round number. That ten thousand can either go into the city treasury or to paying for your funeral. Your choice, Your Honor," Damon leered.. The judge shrank away from them.

"I'll...do as you ask," he relented. It was wrong, but he was too afraid to go against them. Even if he managed to survive whatever accident they set up for him, he knew the Mayor could easily ruin him by taking his job and his house. He would lose everything unless he let this monster loose, so he would regrettably do so. The Gods have mercy on him…

~*~

The call that the jury was back came during breakfast at Granny's and they hurried to the courthouse. They were seated after the judge, as the jury filed back into the courtroom.

"Madam Foreperson, has the jury reached a verdict?" the Judge questioned.

"We have, Your honor," the woman answered. The envelope was handed to the judge, who read the verdict before he handed the envelope back to the bailiff, who then returned it to the foreperson.

"Madam Foreperson...how does the jury find in this case?" the judge questioned.

"On the two counts of aggravated assault and battery, the jury finds the defendant, Damon Tromera, guilty," the woman recited from the card. Commotion erupted in the courtroom and the judge slammed the gavel down, as David and Mary shared a hopeful gaze and held each other's hands tightly.

"Order," the judge demanded, as the woman continued.

"On the charge of attempted murder, the jury finds the defendant...guilty," the woman announced. Mary let out a sob of relief and threw her arms around David, who kissed her hair.

"The court thanks to the jury for their service and we will commence with sentencing today," the judge stated, as they waited for the judge's decision on Damon's sentence.

"It is quite unprecedented in our small town to have such a high profile case and while I feel the jury did their duty to the best of their abilities, I must disagree with the verdict," the judge stated, causing commotion to ripple through the courtroom. Gold frowned, as David clenched his fist and Mary put a hand to her mouth. A bad feeling settled over all of them.

"This case is largely based on hearsay and I believe the jury may have been swayed by the pre-trial publicity with all the coverage this has received in our small town newspaper," he continued.

"Therefore, I have no choice but to set aside the verdict," the judge concluded. The smug smiles on Damon and Albert Spencer's faces were sickening.

"You can't do that!" David exclaimed, as he shot out of his seat.

"I assure you I can, Mr. Nolan. Be seated or I will have you removed and held in contempt," the judge ordered coldly. Tears were already filling Mary's eyes and she pulled him back into his seat, desperately clinging to him.

"Mr. Tromera, please rise," the judge ordered, as the monster of a man did so.

"It is this court's recommendation that you have no contact with the plaintiffs and that you seek counseling from Dr. Hopper. The court is mandating one hundred hours of community service and a ten-thousand dollar fine to be paid immediately," the judge ruled, as he slammed the gavel down and the court was adjourned. Emma glared at Regina, who wore a smug smirk.

"She did this…" Emma growled.

"Then we need to prove it," Stephanie agreed.

"Which will never happen," Mary said dejectedly.

"Honey…" Stephanie started to say.

"No...he was convicted and it still wasn't enough. She found a way," Mary cried, as David held her and shared concerned looks with Emma and Stephanie. The latter watched the Mayor stroll out and stormed after her into the hallway.

"Regina!" Stephanie snapped. The Mayor smirked and turned to face the other woman.

"What can I do for you Ms. Kore?" she asked with venom in her voice.

"I know you hate Mary, but why would you let a monster like that walk free?! As a woman, how could you want that for any woman, even an enemy?" Stephanie questioned.

"Whatever befalls that little retch is poetic justice as far as I'm concerned," Regina snapped back.

"No...dammit, she never did anything to you and you know it! She's a victim too!" Stephanie cried.

"Oh no...I don't know that. But I'll tell you what I do know. Do you prefer Goddess or Your Majesty as a title?" Regina asked and Stephanie paled. The Queen's smirk widened. Stephanie stormed into an empty office and Regina followed.

"To think...all these years I thought it was Leopold and Eva that were responsible for giving life to that little bitch...but all along, it was you," the Queen stated.

"Call my little Snow a name again and I will see that you pay," Stephanie growled, but Regina rolled her eyes.

"You have no more magic here than I do," she retorted.

"For now and for your sake, you had better hope that continues to be true," the Goddess warned.

"How did you find out?" Stephanie demanded to know.

"I filleted it out of a little fishy," Regina countered gleefully.

"What have you done to Ariel?" Stephanie asked.

"Oh...she's fine in the hospital psych ward, though quite disturbed. And don't think about trying to free her, because whatever tricks Gold and his two dimwit lackeys pulled last time to free the bookworm won't work this time," Regina warned.

"You really think you've won? How naive," Stephanie goaded.

"Oh, I have clearly won. We're done here," Regina stated.

"No...we are not! You have tormented my daughter long enough, Regina and it stops now," Stephanie shouted.

"Like hell it does. She killed Daniel!" Regina growled.

"No she didn't! Cora did!" Stephanie refuted.

"Because Snow couldn't keep her mouth shut!" Regina shot back.

"She was a child! I watched helplessly from my chamber in the Underworld, as your mother manipulated my beautiful little Snow! All my baby wanted was her mother and Eva was gone. And I was trapped by my evil husband, powerless to help her!" Stephanie cried, as she struck a chord in the other Queen.

"You know what that's like. You and I are not so different, just as Hades and Leopold aren't so different as well," she stated. But Regina sobered.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the Evil Queen refuted.

"Oh...you know all too well. I had to give my sweet baby up to protect her from Hades, but I'm here now and no one, least of all you, is ever hurting her again," Stephanie spat. Regina rolled her eyes.

"You had to protect her from her own father?" Regina asked skeptically.

"Hades is not her father...Hades is a monster," Stephanie shot back and Regina looked intrigued.

"Oh, so you cheated on your husband. Figures. One tramp would produce another. Did you steal a married man from his wife like she did?" Regina goaded.

"You know damn well Mary never stole David from anyone! David is my Snow's husband and they have always belonged together and will always belong together," Stephanie growled.

"Spoken like a true tramp," Regina growled back. Stephanie started toward her again, but Emma stopped her.

"Not yet…" Emma said, pulling her back. The Goddess huffed.

"You had better hope this town stays magic-less, Your Majesty, because if you think your magic is a match for mine, then you'll be sorely disappointed," Stephanie warned, as Emma led her out with a cold stare to Regina.

She saw David leading Mary out of the courtroom with her huddled against his chest. Damon, the smug bastard said something to them that made David's eyes turn to ice and they moved closer.

~*~

"Come on...let me take you home, my darling," David said to her in a soothing voice, as they stood up, just as Marco and Tom Clark slowly approached.

"We just want you to know that we all thought he was guilty as sin and recommended the maximum sentence," Tom said.

"Yes...this is a miscarriage of justice!" Marco exclaimed passionately. Mary sniffed.

"We're so grateful for your support," Mary said.

"Truly," David added, as they left the couple and David slowly led her out, where Damon's smug face met them.

"No hard feelings, you two," he goaded, as he had the audacity to hold his hand out to shake.

"You stay the hell away from us," David growled, as he batted his hand away. Damon chuckled.

"So hostile...and here I was hoping to invite you both to my club for dinner, on the house, of course," he replied.

"You won, you bastard. You won...now just leave us alone!" Mary begged. But Damon only laughed at her.

"Oooh...I do like it when you beg, Mary. Today was only part of my victory though. The rest comes when you're finally in my bed, preferably in chains," he hissed, enjoying how the little bit of color she had drained from her fair face.

"You sick Son of a Bitch!" David screamed, as Emma was quick to head her father off and hold him back.

"Temper, temper, Deputy…" Damon goaded.

"Get out of here, asshole," Emma spat. The man walked away with that smug smirk plastered on his face. David's shoulders were still heaving and his teeth were clenched in rage.

"David…" Stephanie said gently, motioning to Mary, who had collapsed in her arms. He deflated and she gently prodded her into his arms. He kissed her hair and enveloped her in his embrace tightly.

"He's never going to touch you," he promised, as he caressed her tear stained face.

"Let's go home," Emma suggested. He nodded and they started out, as Stephanie and Regina shared a last frigid look. It looked as though the Queen and her cronies had truly won, but they, especially Emma, were not giving up. She hoped they enjoyed their victory, but she was determined to see that it did not last...


	31. Perfect, Pt 1

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 31: Perfect, Pt 1

A couple weeks had passed since the trial and for the most part, David and Mary had managed to be happy together and move on. Seeing Damon around town, walking free, was difficult, but for the most part, Mary had yet to be alone and he had kept his distance. It was also in the midst of this lull that August made his move. One afternoon, Gold had left the shop to accompany Lacey to the Rabbit Hole. August took the bait and they got him on tape finding the dagger. Jefferson was the one watching the camera at the time.

"Come on...take the bait…" he muttered, as he watched the screen from his home. Sure enough, August pocketed the item and made his way out of the shop. Jefferson picked up the phone and dialed David.

"He finally made the move and took the dagger," Jefferson said.

"Good...we'll let him think he's pulling a fast one for a while and see what he does. I'll warn Gold," David replied.

"You think he might actually be Baelfire?" Jefferson asked.

"I think he's a liar so it's hard to say. But I'm not ready to bust him yet. I want to know why he's so interested in my daughter and my grandson," David replied.

"Okay...we'll take your lead on this. But if we lose the dagger, it's our heads. He'll kill us," Jefferson warned, referring to Gold.

"We won't. If he finds out the dagger is useless here in town, he'll know it's useless outside of it too. I don't think August W. Booth is interested in leaving Storybrooke," David replied.

"Yeah...you're probably right. Be careful out there," he warned.

"You too," David said. Jefferson was thoughtful for a moment and checked the time. It was almost time for recess at the school and he went to his window. He would gaze at Grace, as he did everyday and fight the urges inside to rush over to the school to get her. He knew if he did something like that, he'd only end up in jail. Regina would order Emma or David to arrest him.

"We're getting closer, Grace. We'll be together again soon," he muttered, as he looked through his telescope to not only see her, but to check and see what was going on around their not so quiet town.

~*~

"So what's this holiday all about again?" David asked his daughter, as they browsed the aisles at the Dark Star Pharmacy.

"It's the holiday of love...so naturally, it's been commercialized to the brink by opportunistic capitalists," Emma replied, as they looked at the Valentine's Day cards.

"That being said...it is a holiday of romance and I know you don't need an excuse to romance Mom...Mary, but I know how you love spoiling her," Emma said fondly. He smiled.

"I do love to do that...I suppose I could get behind a holiday like this," he said, as he read one card and groaned, as he put it back.

"These are the most generic words I think I've ever heard," he complained.

"Well...they are probably the same cards this store has had for twenty-eight years, but you could always go with a blank card and write your own message," Emma suggested, as she handed him a shiny red card.

"That's more like it," he agreed.

"And you need these…" Emma said, as she picked out a box of chocolates.

"Dark chocolate caramels...Mary's favorite," he agreed, as she picked out another box.

"Two?" he asked.

"I also like chocolate," she replied and he chuckled in amusement.

"Okay...I think this is a start. I have the flowers covered. Stephanie is picking the best snowdrops from her garden," he said. While traditionally it was a holiday of roses, Mary(and Snow) hated roses for obvious reasons. He made his purchases and they got back into the cruiser.

"Thanks for the help, Em. I'm still clueless on how this world works sometimes," he said. She smiled at him.

"You're doing fine, Dad. They may not have had Valentine's Day in the Enchanted Forest, but they didn't need to. You're Prince Charming...this day is just a bonus to all the other days you've romanced Mom," Emma replied.

"Who knew my little girl was a romantic at heart?" he teased and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not...romance sucks, except for you guys," she replied, as she became thoughtful for a moment and he gently put a hand on hers.

"Emma…" he said soothingly.

"It's okay...I mean, I think you and Mom are the only sincere and true relationship I've ever see. Love has always been enough for you and Mom to weather any storm. In this land, love just isn't enough, but I've made peace with it," she replied.

"I don't want you giving up on love. When I thought your Mother did love me in return, I was crushed and thought I'd never find true love either. But we did. We found each other every time. True love is rare...but I know you'll find it," he said passionately. She smiled and nodded, as she drove off. Deep down, she hoped he was right. Obviously, she loved her parents deeply, but she had found someone she loved more than she ever thought possible and that was a little boy that had shown up on her doorstep on her twenty-eighth birthday…

~*~

Mary inhaled the aroma of the fresh bouquet of snowdrops that had been delivered to her classroom just now. Though it was Valentine's Day and David was known for being romantic, she was still surprised. After all, this was the first Valentine's Day she wouldn't spend alone and it made her giddy thinking about a romantic evening with the man she loved.

"Well...I see David is already romancing you today," Stephanie said fondly, as she peeked in. They often had lunch together now in her classroom while her students were out at recess. Mary blushed and set the beautiful crystal vase down on her desk.

"He is…" he said dreamily, as she sank into her chair while reading the card.

"Oooh...chocolate too," Stephanie said, as Mary bit into one.

"Have one," she offered and Stephanie helped herself.

"So...big plans for tonight?" she asked. Mary smiled.

"I don't know...he won't tell me what we're doing," she replied excitedly.

"Well...I'm sure whatever he has planned will be very romantic," she said.

"It's really too bad you waste your time with that pretty idiot when you could be with someone like me, Mary," a very unwelcome voice said from the doorway.

"You...get the hell out of here…" Stephanie growled, but she was ignored, as he waltzed into the room with a bouquet of red roses in his hand.

"Maybe you didn't get the memo, Ms. Kore, but I was acquitted of any wrongdoing. I have a right to go wherever I want," he goaded, as he placed the flowers on Mary's desk and enjoyed watching her back away toward her blackboard. Stephanie quickly got between them.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Mary asked, on the verge of breaking down in tears, a fact that made him smirk deviously.

"Oh, I was only dropping to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials," he goaded, as he held up an invitation to their wedding. They had set the date for the tenth of March and sent out just a few invitations to their close friends, as they planned on a small, intimate ceremony. David had offered to throw Mary a huge wedding if she wanted, but she hadn't been interested in that. All that interested her was marrying him with her closest friends in attendance.

"How...did you get this? You're not invited," she said, as tears threatened to fall.

"That hurts me deeply, Mary. I saw it on the counter this morning at Granny's. Your waitress friend carelessly left it on the counter and I'll admit, I was deeply hurt that I didn't receive one," he said, enjoying how easily he got under her skin.

"Why would we ever invite the man that hurt us? You almost killed the man I love," Mary replied, as she started to get very upset.

"You give me that and you get out of here!" Stephanie growled, as she snatched the invitation and pushed him away.

"Where are you registered? I'd love to get you a gift," he goaded.

"We want nothing from you," Mary hissed, but he only smirked.

"See you on the big day…" he called back, as he made his way out. Stephanie hugged Mary and she broke down.

"Shh...it's okay, sweetheart," Stephanie soothed.

"It's not...he's going to show up and try to ruin our wedding," Mary sobbed.

"Oh honey...we're not going to let him," she promised. Mary tried to calm down, as her students returned to class and she continued her day. Stephanie went back to her office and realized she needed to do something. Damon did plan on doing something at their wedding, she could feel it and it made her wonder if Regina also planned to make trouble for them. She wasn't going to just sit back and let them do so though and she picked up the phone.

"David...I need to talk to you. It's about the wedding," she said.

~*~

August examined the dagger and compared it to the sketch on his notepad. If there were magic in this place, he would have control of the Dark One, if what he had heard was true. He had discovered much in his days spent in Hong Kong. There were people that knew about magic in this land and actually knew about this town, as well. He lifted his pant leg, as he felt another sharp pain and noticed that his condition was getting worse. That was the paramount reason he was here. Breaking the curse meant preventing him from turning back to wood. It was selfish, but he had hoped to not have to come here at all. He knew eventually Emma would break the curse once she was in Storybrooke, but when he awoke with the pain in his leg just after she arrived in town, he knew it wasn't going to be fast enough.

He sought out an old Mage he had heard about in Hong Kong, known simply as the Dragon. He had wanted ten thousand American dollars though for one of his cures and unfortunately, despite trying to steal it, he hadn't been able to acquire the funds.

But that's when he learned that this man calling himself the Dragon knew all about the curse and the land he was born in when he identified him as Pinocchio. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to acquire the answers as to how he knew these things. But he did learn that the woman he had tried to swipe the elixir from knew about magic and she wasn't the only one. At first, he had only been concerned about himself, but not even his selfishness would allow him to condemn everyone here. He needed the curse broken not only to help himself, but to be able to tell them that the a few in the outside world weren't completely unaware of Storybrooke's existence. But now that he had the dagger, he hoped it could convince him he was Baelfire and that they needed Emma to believe. Crossing the Dark One was risky, but if his legs were anything to go by, he didn't have a lot to lose.

~*~

As Mary packed up for the day, she was surprised when David poked his head into her classroom. He found himself just watching her for a moment, as she looked at her students artwork fondly and then went back to straightening things on her desk.

"Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?" he asked, as she looked up and a smile eclipsed her face.

"David…" she said, as they hurried to each other and he took her in his arms.

"Stephanie told me that he was harassing you again," he replied, as he held her tightly.

"I'm fine...especially now. Thank you for the flowers, the card, and the candy, by the way," she gushed, as he kissed her tenderly.

"You're welcome...that's actually part of the reason I'm here. I wanted to talk to you about tonight," he replied. She grinned.

"Are you finally going to tell me what you have planned?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm not telling you, because it's a surprise. I just need a few extra hours to get everything ready, so I was talking to Emma and she wants to take you out for a drink first. Something about a girl's night. Then when I'm ready, I thought I'd come pick you up, if that's all right with you," he replied. She smiled.

"That sounds wonderful...but I really wish you would tell me what you're up to," she said, as she kissed him and smoothed her hands along the back of his neck, a spot she knew made him purr.

"That's not going to work...I'm still not telling you," he teased, as their lips parted. She pouted playfully and he pecked her on the lips again.

"Come on, I'll take you home," he said, as he helped her with her coat. She got her flowers and they left her classroom behind, along with Damon's unwanted roses in the trash.

~*~

An hour later, Mary looked at her reflection in the mirror with uncertainty. She was wearing a beautiful turquoise party dress that was knee length and had a very low collar with spaghetti straps. She looked beautiful in it, but it wasn't her usual style. Until David came along, she had always been a top button kind of girl. But this was even a step above that.

"You look gorgeous," Stephanie gushed. Mary bit her bottom lip.

"You think?" she asked.

"Totally hot...like seriously Mare," Emma agreed, enjoying the flush now staining the raven haired beauty's cheeks.

They came out from behind the curtain, just as David hung up the phone. He was being very mysterious and Mary was very anxious to know what he was up to.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Everything's fine...wow…" he uttered, as he looked up and saw her.

"You look...wow…" he stammered, as she looked down shyly and he moved closer and put his arms around her waist.

"I take it you like the dress?" she asked. He nodded.

"Uh huh…" he replied, as he leaned in and kissed her. She found herself sliding her arms around his neck and mewled into his kiss, as he moved his lips over hers in a passionate rhythm.

"Are you sure you don't want me to just stay home with you?" she purred, as their lips parted. He smiled.

"It's very tempting...but what I have planned is worth a few hours apart, I promise," he replied.

"You're still not going to tell me what you're planning, are you?" she asked. He chuckled.

"That would spoil my fun," he teased, as there was a knock at the door and Emma opened it, finding Ruby and Ashley there.

"Ready for girl's night?" the brunette in red asked excitedly.

"I think so...if we can pry these two apart," Emma joked, as David helped Mary with her coat and saw them off. It was time for him to finish setting up her surprise.

~*~

The Rabbit Hole was surprisingly busy this Valentine's Day. But then, there weren't a lot of happy relationships in Storybrooke, thanks to the curse, so this holiday brought out the compulsion in singles to drown their sorrows and possibly meet other singles.

Whale was there, which was no surprise. He had already bought Ruby three drinks and they were chatting very amicably at the bar. She saw Gold and Lacey there too, with the former looking uncomfortable in such a setting, per usual, but determined to endure it for Lacey. The barfly was knocking them back pretty hard and pulverizing her competition at the billiards table. But perhaps most shockingly, she saw August at the bar when a round of drinks arrived at their table. She left Mary to talk with Ashley and Stephanie, while she went up to him.

"Thanks for the drinks...how did you know what we were drinking?" she asked.

"I'm stalking you," he joked, but then laughed at the serious look on the blonde's face.

"I asked the bartender, Emma," he said and she relaxed a little.

"This seems like the place to be on Valentine's Day, though I'm surprised to see Mary Margaret without David," he mentioned.

"David will be here later," Emma replied.

"They seem happy," he mentioned.

"They are...but then you don't seem surprised by that," she replied suspiciously. He chuckled.

"A blind person could see how crazy they are about each other. But you still don't trust me," he said.

"I don't trust many people, so don't take it too personally," Emma countered. He chuckled again.

"But you seem to trust Mary and David. You see protective of them too," he prodded and she eyed him suspiciously again, but he held up his hands in surrender.

"It's just an observation," he assured.

"I've never really had what you could call a family until Mary and David. And if anyone ever tries to hurt them, I'll destroy them," she warned in an even tone.

"I don't think I'm the one you need to worry about hurting either of them," August retorted, as he motioned back to Mary's table. Emma glanced over, just in time to see Mary deck Damon and she rushed over.

"So...are you excited for whatever David has planned for you tonight?" Ashley asked, as they sipped at their cocktails.

"I am...I just wish I knew what he is up to," Mary mentioned.

"I'm sure it will be well worth the wait," Stephanie assured. Mary cocked her head to the side and eyed her suspiciously.

"You know what he's planning, don't you?" Mary asked. But Stephanie was coy and she ate the olive out of her martini.

"My lips are sealed," she replied playfully.

"Well...this certainly is a surprise, Mary, thought I must say I am very much enjoying the view of you in such a dress," Damon leered, as he approached, drink in hand.

"You just won't stay away, will you?" Stephanie spat, as she got out of her seat.

"Maybe you should make me, Ms. Kore," he growled.

"Oh, don't tempt me, you disgusting pig," Stephanie growled back, but Mary got in between them.

"Please...just leave us alone," Mary pleaded.

"Oh Mary, when you beg...the things it does to me," he leered.

"In fact, I can promise you...one night with me and you'd beg me for more and you'd be asking me David who…" he added. And something inside her snapped at that, for her love for David was so strong that nothing, especially not this monster, could change that. And for him to suggest such made her boil. So before she knew what was happening, she punched him in the nose with a strength and force she didn't know she was capable of. Damon fell on his ass and held his now bloody nose in pain.

"Arrggghh...you little bitch!" he cried.

"Whoa Mare...that was a hell of a punch!" Emma exclaimed, highly impressed, as her best friend shook her hand. Emma knew her Mother was capable of this kind of thing, but seeing it come out in Mary was a welcome surprise. She examined her knuckles and saw they were a little bruised.

"Bartender...can I get some ice?" Emma called. He nodded.

"You should arrest her! She assaulted me!" Damon cried.

"I didn't see anything...did anyone else?" Emma asked, but no one seemed willing to vouch for Damon. There were some creeps that would probably take his side, but none of them were really willing to get involved in a possible police situation. And every woman in the place damn near cheered for Mary.

"Yeah...guess it's hearsay," Stephanie added smugly.

"Yeah...you just got knocked on your ass by a one-hundred and twenty pound woman. I'm sure that's not something you want to get around," Emma goaded, as he picked himself up.

"This isn't over, Mary," he warned.

"It is over, slime ball. Stay away from her or so help me, I'll find a way to make sure you can never bother her again," Stephanie shot back, as they glared daggers at each other. His hatred for this woman burned inside him to the point that he found his head hurt. He barely knew her, but there was something about her that made him want to see her suffer.

"Careful Ms. Kore...or so help me, I'll see that you're the one that it's over for," he threatened, before storming out. Mary sighed and collapsed into her seat.

"Honey...are you okay?" Stephanie asked. She blew out a shaky breath.

"I think so...punching him felt really good though," she replied and they all smiled at each other, as Emma put the ice on Mary's knuckles.

"Another round for this table, thanks to the lady and gentlemen at the billiard table," the bartender said, as they looked over to find Lacey smiling coyly, as she approached.

"You know...until now, I thought you were the most boring person I'd ever met and I couldn't believe it when people told me we used to be friends," Lacey said.

"But now...I see it. You're secretly a bad ass, Blanchard. Kudos on punching that dickhead out," Lacey complimented, as she and Gold strutted out of the establishment. Gold's usual mostly blank expression was amused, as he escorted Lacey out. Stephanie's phone beeped and she grinned, as she read the text.

"Operation surprise nuptials is a go," she whispered to Emma, who smiled in return.

"Hey Mare...how about we ditch this place and go for some hot chocolate at Granny's?" Emma asked.

"Oh, I thought you'd never ask! This place is just not my speed," she said, as they got their coats.

"Maybe not...but you are a bad ass. I wish David could have seen you punch that asshole," Emma replied.

"Oh...I got it on my phone. I'll send the video to all of you, but we'll let Mary show David," Ruby said.

"All right girls...let's take this party to Granny's," Ashley said, as they all shared a secret smile. Mary had no idea the surprises that were in store for her on this Valentine's Day, but it was one she would never forget...


	32. Perfect, Pt 2

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 32: Perfect, Pt 2

David stood on the stoop of the large house, 102 Mifflin Street to be exact. The street of mansions where Storybrooke's elite resided. Regina's house was just a few down from this one. George's a little further beyond that. Mitchell Herman occupied the one across the way and Damon Tromera's lavish mansion was just around the corner. The corruption and injustice of it all made David sick to his stomach. But that was why he was here tonight. He was determined to have one victory and it would take Judge Abernathy's help to accomplish it.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Jefferson asked, as he stood beside the Prince.

"No...but I have to try. He screwed us over, so I'm going to convince him to grant this one simple request. He owes us," David replied.

"He's probably not going to see it that way," Jefferson warned.

"He will...because I'm not leaving here until he does," David retorted, as the door opened and the judge looked confused.

"Deputy Nolan...is there a problem?" the Judge asked.

"Yes...but one that's easily fixed. May we come in?" David asked in return. The Judge didn't look happy, but nodded curtly, allowing them inside.

"What is this about?" he asked.

"This...sign it and we'll be out of your hair," David said, as he handed him a document.

"This is a marriage license," he stated.

"Yep...I want to marry my fiance tonight instead of the date we set. Now sign it," David replied. The Judge sighed.

"Mr. Nolan...in the state of Maine and most states for that matter, both parties must be present when being issued a marriage license," he informed.

"I'm aware, but since you set a monster free with your decision, he'll be around to ruin the wedding we planned next month. So, this is a bit of a pre-emptive strike. We're getting married tonight, before he can do anything," David replied.

"So...you barge into my home and demand this of me, because you believe I owe you," he Judge stated in a condescending manner.

"You do owe us!" David snapped.

"I know they threatened you or bought you. I may not be able to prove it, but you didn't just decide on your own to overturn that verdict," he continued.

"You put my soon to be wife in incredible danger by letting that man walk and now she's afraid he's going to ruin our wedding. At least do her this favor and grant this marriage license so he can't," David implored passionately.

"Antagonizing him by doing this will not bode well for either of you," the Judge warned, as he signed the document.

"If the Mayor asks, I'm going to tell her you threatened me. I hope you are ready for the storm you're about to unleash, Mr. Nolan," he warned. David knew it was as close to a confirmation that the Judge had set aside the verdict for the exact reasons he suspected.

"I'll fight them with everything I have," David assured, as he snatched the document out of his hand and Jefferson wordlessly followed him out of the house.

"I'm impressed...though if he says you threatened him later, that could be a problem," the Hatter warned.

"I know...but I'm marrying the woman I love tonight. Nothing is going to stop me and once we break the curse, maybe the tide will finally turn," David replied, as they got back into the cruiser and headed back toward Granny's.

~*~

Damon Tromera stormed into his club, which his employees were running as usual that evening. He went straight for his office and slammed the door shut. His rage exploded, as he yelled in anger and everything on his desk went flying to the floor. His head was killing him and the alcohol burned his throat, as he gulped down straight vodka.

"You have humiliated me for the last time, Mary…" he growled. He was so livid that he could practically feel his blood boiling in his veins and the pain in his head was excruciating.

"Enjoy this evening, Mary…" he growled, as he poured himself another drink.

~*~

Mary followed her friends, as they walked along the streets of Storybrooke in the direction of the diner.

"Mary, I'm so sorry that I was careless with that invitation. I should have known better than to set it down on the counter," Ruby apologized.

"It's not your fault, Ruby. I know you didn't mean to," Mary replied.

"Well...I think we've devised a plan to make sure Damon Tromera can't interrupt the wedding," Stephanie said, as they rounded the corner to Granny's.

"How?" Mary asked and then she looked ahead of her friends and saw what awaited her. A portion of the street was blocked off, thanks to Emma's authority as Sheriff. The ground was littered with hundreds of snow bell petals and clear colored Christmas lights twinkled above, having been strung all over Granny's, the surrounding trees, and light poles. At the other end of the partitioned area, there was a gorgeous white archway that had been set up. It was decorated with orchids, snow bells, and twinkling lights as well. There, waiting for her was David, dressed in a tux, which made her knees week. He stood next to Archie, who smiled brightly, overjoyed to officiate this occasion.

White chairs lines either side of the petal filled aisle where their guests would sit. Among those guests were Leroy, Astrid, Tom Clark, Walter, a few teachers from school, Granny, Sean Herman, who held his daughter and had a vacant seat for Ashley, and Marco. Mary looked at David, as he approached and she felt weak all over, but in a good way, for his eyes were shining with love.

"I decided I couldn't wait any longer...that I need you to be my wife. I know this isn't the day we planned, but if you're willing, I'd love nothing more than to marry you tonight," he said passionately. She smiled and wiped a tear away.

"But if you want to wait until the day we planned, I understand completely," he added. But she shook her head.

"No...I don't want to wait either. I want to marry you now...I just don't have my dress. It's at the loft," she replied.

"Actually...your dress and our dresses are all inside my old room at the Inn," Emma interjected, as she gestured toward Granny's. Mary smiled brightly and giggled.

"I can't believe you all did this for me," she said, truly humbled, as tears started falling down her cheeks.

"Because we all love you...so much," Stephanie said, as she and Emma hugged her from either side. Ruby cheered.

"Let's get you two hitched!" she shouted and they laughed. Mary was ushered inside by Emma and Stephanie, with Ruby and Ashley following to help.

~*~

Regina finished her cider and checked the clock. It was a little past nine and she went upstairs for the night. Quietly, she peeked into Henry's room, smiling, as she saw a lump in the bed, burrowed under the covers. All that she could see was the top of his brown haired head illuminated by the rotation of his swan nightlight. Satisfied that he was tucked in for the night, she retired to her own room.

~*~

Mary opened her eyes, as Stephanie finished applying a very light, neutral colored shimmer to her eyelids and turned to gaze at herself in the mirror. Her pixie cut was combed neatly, with her bangs sweeping to the side over her forehead and her eyes were practically sparkling like emeralds with the enhancement of some careful, yet subtle eye makeup. Her cheeks had a very light pink tint against her fair skin and Ashley swept a makeup brush over her face one more time as a final touch. Ruby put a tissue to her lips and she blotted, after the former applied a light lip gloss, bringing out the natural red in her lips.

"Time for the dress," Stephanie said, as they helped her into it. The dress had a sweetheart neckline with slim straps. The bosom and bodice of the dress was dazzled with shimmering rhinestones and a sheer iridescent layer that glittered. The skirt of the dress was pure satin, also with the same glittering iridescent layer. Emma smiled at her and fitted a crown they had the boutique fashion from snow bells on her head. Ashley pinned the veil in her hair and Ruby draped it over her face. They stepped back to admire.

"You have got to be the most beautiful bride ever," Stephanie said fondly.

"Yep...David's going to faint," Emma joked. Mary looked down shyly.

"Thank you...all of you for doing all this," she said gratefully.

"You're very welcome," Ruby said.

"We love you," Ashley added. Since Mary was ready, Ruby and Ashley slipped out to take their seats, while Emma and Stephanie quickly changed into their dresses. Both donned beautiful lavender dresses made of satin and just as they finished, there was a knock at the door. Emma opened it and was surprised to see Henry standing there.

"Kid...what are you doing here?" Emma asked in surprise.

"I'm the ring bearer, so I sneaked out when you told me Miss Blanchard was having a surprise wedding tonight," he replied.

"You know I can't condone you sneaking out," she chided sternly, but then dissolved into a smile.

"But I'm glad you're here. Let's get you into your tux," she said, as she ushered him in.

"Wow Miss Blanchard...you look really pretty," Henry said in awe, thinking that she looked much like she did in the book. She smiled.

"Thank you Henry. I'm glad you're here to share this with us," she replied. He smiled.

"Me too," he agreed, as Emma helped him get into his tux. There was another knock and they knew that was probably Granny, signaling that it was time.

~*~

As David waited at the altar, he chatted with Archie.

"Are you nervous?" the ginger-haired man asked. David smiled and looked at him.

"Not even a little. I've been ready to marry her since the moment I saw her," David answered.

"It's not very often that there is such an example of true love right before us like this. I am so honored to be here to witness this," Archie stated. David smiled.

"I'm just glad everyone was able to come on short notice. Thank you for getting ordained so quickly, by the way," the blonde replied. Archie smiled.

"Thank the Internet and I think I speak for everyone present in saying that we wouldn't miss this for anything," he said, as they saw Emma prod Henry along. He grinned at his grandson, as he carried a pillow with the things down the aisle.

"Looking sharp, kid," David said, as he gave him a hug.

"I'm so glad you're here, Henry," he whispered to the boy.

"Me too Gramps," Henry whispered back, as Stephanie walked down the aisle, next with a bouquet of snowdrops and wildflowers. She gave David a secret smile and took her place. Emma was next, carrying a bouquet similar to Stephanie's and shared an excited, bright smile with her father. Getting to attend this ceremony and share this with them meant more to Emma than she had initially realized. She may have been the savior, but her parents were helping her return hope to their people.

Just mere months ago, all those present here tonight barely spoke to each other and carried out lonely, mundane lives. But now...they had become something of a family. They still had a ways to go, but nights like this one made Emma realize that they could win.

She hugged her father once she reached the altar.

"I love you Daddy," she whispered.

"I love you too Princess," he whispered back, before she took her place. He smiled at her and Henry again, before his attention was captivated by the woman that owned his heart. He was always amazed by her ability to stun him. She floated to him, her eyes already misty from the realization that this was actually happening. She reached the altar and handed her bouquet off to Emma, as she joined hands with him. Archie smiled brightly at them both.

"It is with great honor and joy that we come together on this evening to celebrate the love between David and Mary Margaret and join them in Holy Matrimony," Archie began.

"I think it goes without saying that we have all been touched and inspired, as we watched the two of you fall in love so completely. I know it's hard to put into words the hope you've brought to us and how we've come to be like a family. You two are what brought us together and the glue that holds this little group together. So it is only fitting that we hear you speak your vows to each other and express your love in words for all to hear," Archie said, as David smiled at her.

"When I woke up from the coma, there wasn't a lot that that made sense. Except you. When I first looked into your eyes that night when you found me in the woods, I knew that if I followed you, then everything would be right," he began.

"You were like a light to guide me. Not back to someone I supposedly was before my injuries, but to the person I wanted to be. I knew from the moment I looked at you that I wanted to marry you, so I strive to be a man worthy of your love. What we have is true love, without a doubt and eternal. It goes beyond just this life and I know that whatever life we find ourselves in that I will always find you, just as you found me. And I know that no matter what we face, we shall do so together. I love you, Mary Margaret Blanchard and I'm going to spend eternity showing you how much," he promised. She sniffed and swiped a tear away.

"I'm not sure I know how to follow a speech like that," she croaked, as her eyes glistened.

"Before you awoke from your coma...my life was so empty. I might as well have been in a coma myself some days, for I felt invisible most of the time; like I didn't fit anywhere. Then I found you and realized that where I fit; in your arms. Being with you has been like dreaming while I'm awake and the thought that I get to spend the rest of my life and beyond with you is overwhelming, because I never thought I could have something as incredible as the love we have," she confessed, pausing for a beat.

"I was incomplete before you, because you're the other half of my soul and when you awoke, I felt like I was waking up too in a way," she said, gazing at him with love glowing in her eyes.

"Henry was right...you are my Prince Charming. I thought a love like ours only happened in fairy tales...but this is real, so real that you leave me breathless and unhinged and whole every moment we are together. I may have found you that night in the woods...but you found me too," she said. He smiled.

"And you thought you couldn't follow my vows," he replied, as everyone chuckled and she smiled shyly.

"It is without a doubt that we are in the presence of true love this evening," Archie said, as they looked up, noticing that snow was falling softly upon them.

"A ring symbolizes eternity and never ending, which makes it very appropriate for this union especially," Archie stated, before looking to David.

"David...do you take Mary Margaret to be your wife?" Archie asked. He smiled.

"I do," he answered and slipped the wedding band onto her finger.

"And do you, Mary Margaret, take David to be your husband?" he asked.

"I do," she answered, as she slipped the wedding band on his finger.

"What we have joined here today, let no one tear asunder. I now pronounce you husband and wife," he announced.

"You may kiss your bride," Archie prompted. David closed the short distance between them and kissed her passionately. All present cheered and unbeknown to them, Sidney Glass was taking photos from his car, which was parked nearby. He easily sent the photos from his camera to his phone and then sent a text to the Mayor.

David kissed Mary deeply, as they lost themselves in each other for a few moments, until they heard someone clear their throat.

"Come on lovebirds, we're all going inside your reception before we freeze," Granny said. They shared a smile and then Mary yelped in surprise, as he swept her into his arms, before carrying her inside to celebrate with their friends.

~*~

Regina's phone beeped, as she came out of the bathroom in her pajamas. She checked her phone and her blood boiled at the photo on her screen. David and Mary Margaret getting married in front of Granny's with her son in the mix. She stormed down to her son's room and yanked back the covers, finding a pillows rolled to make it look like a person. She angrily threw the pillows off the bed and stormed back to her bedroom to quickly get dressed.

~*~

The reception was small, but perfect and with the jukebox playing the perfect love song, David and Mary shared their first dance, as husband and wife, surprising everyone that he even knew how to slow dance and well at that.

"Where did a guy in a coma learn to dance like that?" Ruby commented.

"I have to say I'm curious about that myself," Mary whispered to him, as he twirled her.

"Guess I'm just full of surprises," he answered coyly. She smiled, as he twirled her back to him, this time pressing her back against his front, as he held her like that and they swayed.

"You are...and I can't wait to discover all those surprises in our life together," she mentioned. He kissed her hair.

"Me too, my darling," he whispered back.

"All right lovebirds...time for the toast and cake," Granny announced, as she brought out the small wedding cake she had baked. And to their surprise, Leroy stood up and cleared his throat.

"Yeah...so I hate weddings and people," Leroy began.

"But this one was all right and you two are okay too, even though I can't usually stomach all this gooey shi…" Leroy said, but stopped, as Granny gave him a glare.

"Shtuff," he corrected himself and held up his glass.

"To David and Mary Margaret," he toasted, as they proceeded to cut the cake.

"Kid...you need to finish your cake so we can get you back home," Emma urged, trying not to smile at him, as his face had frosting all over it.

"Okay…" he relented, as they glanced over to the happy couple. They were also enjoying cake, with Mary in David's lap and feeding it to each other. Emma rolled her eyes playfully. Only her parents. But she was glad they were so happy.

"Uh oh…" she heard Ruby utter and joined her at the window. It was Regina's car and the Mayor got out, as she stormed toward the diner, clearly livid.

"Crap…" Emma said, as she went to head her off. Stephanie followed, ready to go toe to toe with Mayor Mills and keep her from spoiling this night for her daughter.

"Miss Swan...you bring my son out here right now," Regina growled.

"Easy Mayorzilla…I agree that he probably shouldn't have sneaked out, but he just wanted to come to David and Mary's wedding," Emma retorted.

"Which you would have forbade him to do," Stephanie added.

"This doesn't concern you," Regina snapped.

"Oh it does and you know why," Stephanie snapped back.

"This wedding should have never happened. I explicitly instructed Judge Abernathy to deny that marriage license," Regina said. Emma shrugged.

"Guess David persuaded him to sign it, after all," the blonde replied. Regina smirked.

"If I find out that he threatened the judge, I'll force you to arrest him and make sure he ends up in a jail cell with no possibility of escape," the Mayor warned.

"You leave my parents alone…" Emma growled, finally slipping and revealing that she knew their true identities, even though Regina suspected that she knew. She laughed.

"So you do know...I have to admit that I'm curious as to how. I've read your file, after all. You grew up alone...found like trash on the side of the road. The authorities even looked for the so called deadbeat parents that dumped you there. That's about right, considering your father threw you in a tree," Regina hissed. Emma growled and started to advance, but Stephanie held her back.

"Temper, temper, Miss Swan...you wouldn't want me to start telling people that you think your parents are Snow White and Prince Charming, would you? I read that part of your file too. The medical community thought you were quote, a very disturbed little girl," Regina continued to goad.

"Shut up…" Emma growled.

"I wonder what the Judge will have to say about his little visit from David tonight?" Regina asked, as she pulled out her phone.

"Don't you dare…" Stephanie warned.

"Or what?" Regina challenged and Stephanie smirked.

"Or David won't be the only one being investigated," Stephanie replied, as she handed her a file. Regina opened it and her eyes widened.

"How the hell did you get this?" she demanded to know.

"I think you know how," Stephanie replied.

"Gold doesn't do anything without demanding something in return," Regina said. Stephanie smirked.

"And I think we both know that he was more than willing to divulge, given he will get a favor from the Queen of the Underworld," Stephanie revealed.

"You bitch," Regina spat.

"That's what you get for hunting my daughter and trying to murder her! Trying to murder the man she loves! And ripping her daughter away from her! Well no more...your days or tormenting her are at an end," Stephanie raged, but Emma pulled her back and nodded to the folder.

"What is that?" Emma asked.

"Henry's adoption paperwork. The adoption agency you went through was shut down and many on the staff were indicted for circumventing the legal adoption channels a few years ago," Stephanie answered.

"Selling kids?" Emma asked. The Queen of the Underworld nodded.

"To people desperate to be parents. Gold paid their sum for Henry and then made sure he was erased from their database. Not even Judge Abernathy can refute this," she threatened.

"You do that and I will make life for your precious little daughter a living hell. I'll make sure David is locked up and I'll deliver her to Damon myself on a silver platter," Regina countered.

"You do that and Emma will sue you for custody...and win. And then...the second magic comes to this town, and we know it will, I will send you to the Underworld. You do anything to my daughter and son-in-law or my granddaughter, I promise I'll send you straight to Hades," Persephone promised. Regina glowered at her.

"Like I care if those two idiots are married," she growled, as Henry came out of the diner.

"Henry...let's go now. You are grounded," she snapped. His shoulders slumped and he followed her to his car, casting a glance at Emma over his shoulder.

"Oh...and don't think that this little meeting was a victory, because this is still my town. It will always be my town and no one, least of all you two, are going to change that. And if you try to take my son from me, Miss Swan, I will not only destroy you, I will destroy your parents...and yes, even you, Your Majesty," Regina snapped, as she stalked back to her car. The war had just intensified...


	33. Sweeter Than Fiction

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 33: Sweeter Than Fiction

David glanced worriedly out the window, as he held Mary in his lap and she followed his gaze.

"Do you think we should go out there?" she asked in concern. He turned back to her and pressed his lips to hers.

"No...I think they can handle Regina. I'm not letting her spoil this night for us," David replied. Before they could contemplate further, Stephanie and Emma came back inside, minus Henry.

"Is everything okay?" Mary asked. Emma smiled thinly.

"Yeah...Regina was just having her usual Mayorzilla meltdown," Emma replied.

"That looked pretty intense," David mentioned. Emma sighed.

"Yeah...I guess we both just know the right buttons to push to tick each other off. And you know she gets majorly pissed when she can't control everything," Emma replied. David took that answer for now, but knew by how rattled his daughter was that there was more to it.

The reception was quickly winding down and Granny soon came over, as she handed Mary a room key.

"What's this?" the raven haired beauty asked.

"The key to the Honeymoon suite here at the Inn...on the house," Granny replied.

"Granny...that's nice of you," David said.

"Well...consider me a romantic at heart. And I'm using the term suite a little loosely. The room is only slightly bigger than a standard room. But...it has a King sized bed. Enjoy," she said slyly and Mary blushed a little.

"We should run home to the loft to get a few things if we're staying here tonight," she mentioned.

"No need...we packed for you both," Stephanie said, motioning to the two bags on a table nearby.

"Thanks...for everything," David said, as they stood up and exchanged hugs.

"Have fun…" Stephanie teased, enjoying her daughter's blush.

"Yeah...and tell us none of the details," Emma added, as she hugged them.

"Well...shall we, Mrs. Nolan?" he asked. She grinned.

"Lead the way, Mr. Nolan," she answered, she hooked her hand on his elbow and he led her upstairs with their bags.

~*~

The short ride home with Henry had been silent, as Regina contemplated Stephanie's threats. Once they were inside, Regina tucked Henry in, before explaining that he was grounded for a month. Her son defiantly told her that she couldn't keep him from his real family and burrowed under his covers then. He was slipping away and she had to fix this and fix it fast.  
Mary and David had to be handled delicately. In fact, she would need to take out Stephanie first somehow. Or at the very least neutralize her threat. To do that, she needed to get rid of the judge. With him gone, George would replace him and toss out any custody case against her. And Stephanie wouldn't risk bringing in anyone from outside Storybrooke, not with the possible danger that could pose to her precious daughter. She rolled her eyes at that thought. She still couldn't believe Snow White, her troublesome step-daughter, was actually the daughter of Persephone.

She had to tread carefully, but it was time to find a way to wipe out all her enemies and that meant ultimately...getting rid of Emma Swan.

~*~

As they reached the room, David set their bags down and insisted on carrying her over the threshold. She smiled down at him and they kissed tenderly, as he gently put her on her feet. He brought their bags in and closed the door. The suite had been decorated with snow bell petals all over the bed and unlit candles ready to set the mood. There was also wine chilling by the bed with strawberries and whipped cream.

"Wow...you planned all this too?" she asked and he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I wanted this night to be perfect for us. I didn't do all this myself, but I asked Ruby and Granny to," he replied. She turned in his arms and he saw the tears in her eyes.

"This night has been incredible...and I know it's only going to get better," she said, biting her bottom lip. He smiled and kissed her again, this time moving his lips over hers passionately. She smiled dreamily, as their lips parted.

"I'm...going to go change into something else. Maybe when I get back...you won't have so many clothes on either," she said, as she took her bag and sauntered into the bathroom. He blew out a breath, trying to get a hold of himself, as she already had him hot all over. He shed his jacket, undid his bow tie, and then unbuttoned his shirt, letting it slip off. First, he lit all the candles in the room to set the mood. Then he opened the wine and poured it into two glasses, as he anxiously awaited his wife. He smiled at that thought. He could finally call her his wife again.

~*~

Mary took a deep, calming breath, as she put her bag down and looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't their first time, but somehow it felt like it was all over again. She managed to get out of her dress and then dug through her bag, wondering what they had packed for her. Instead of one of her normal negligees though, she found something new that had been placed in her bag. It screamed with Ruby's doing too. She looked at the tiny garment. It was a lacy, white baby doll style negligee that was lacy through the bra and sheer through the bodice, complete with lacy white g-string panties. She was positive she was probably turning red, but the thought of wearing something like this for David excited her. She quickly shed her normal undergarments and replaced them with the sexy ensemble that was clearly a gift from her friends. White had always looked lovely on her, contrasting with her raven hair nicely and this time was no exception. She touched up her makeup slightly and then took a deep breath. She walked out of the bathroom and he almost dropped the wine glasses when he saw her.

"Wow…" he uttered, swallowing thickly, as he set the wine glasses down. She closed the distance between them and he slid his hands beneath the sheer material to rest them on her hips.

"You are so beautiful…" he uttered.

"You make me feel beautiful…" she responded, as her red lips drew his kiss.

"Did you want any wine?" he asked, as their lips parted. She smirked and slid her arms around his neck.

"Later...right now, I just want my husband," she said, feeling giddy at those words. He smiled and kissed her deeply, as he slid his hands down to her thighs. He lifted her up and parted her legs around him. She mewled into his kiss, as he moved his lips feverishly over hers. He climbed onto the bed with her legs still hooked around him and lowered her to the soft bedspread beneath them. Their lips parted briefly and he gazed down at her, as she now lay surrounded by flower petals.

He lowered his head to her neck and she gasped, as he breathed fire on her throat. Her entire body thrilled, as he trailed open mouthed kisses slowly down her slender neck, until he reached her collarbone and continued his path. She writhed beneath him, her back arching, as his strong hands touched her. Every time his hands or lips met her flesh, a rush of heat poured from her core. She moaned, as he lifted her up and situated her in his lap, as he sat back on his haunches. She panted air into her lungs and gazed down at him now from her place elevated above him. Her head lolled back, as he kissed the valley between her breasts and she arched toward him when he snapped the clasp on her bra. The garment fell away and he tossed it and the sheer slip away, leaving her nearly bare before his hungry stare.

"David…" she cried, as his tongue flicked over her right nipple, while his hand palmed her left breast, rolling it in his hand. She lost herself in him, as he worshiped her breasts and then he sent her into sensory overload when his other hand slipped between her legs. She shuddered and bucked against him, as he sought to her pleasure. As he suckled her breast, he pressed his thumb against her clit at the same time.

"Oh Gods David…" she cried wantonly. He repeated this action, enjoying her cries and the noises she was making. Mary was always so quiet, but when they made love, she had steadily become more and more vocal. Which didn't surprise him since Snow was never quiet during sex. In fact, it had been no secret back in their land what they got up to in their bed chambers quite frequently. He was sure it created quite the gossip among their staff, not that either of them could be bothered to care.

"Unnnhhh…" Snow mewled repeatedly, as he edged her toward her climax. He stimulated her again and she screamed his name, as she came and he kissed her tenderly, as he rode her orgasm with her. She fell slack against him and started kissing his neck. He raised onto his knees and held her with one arm, while he pulled back the bedclothes with the other. He gently lay her down on the sheets and she pulled him down between her parted legs, as he slid the flimsy g-string down her shapely legs, discarding it. She felt his hard length pressing against her and her nimble fingers undid his belt, as they kissed intensely. Mary pushed his pants down over his hips, followed by his underwear. David shifted and managed to kick the rest of his clothes off, before he settled between her legs again. She kissed him feverishly and arched against him, as the fire in her core was reignited. Her green eyes burned into his blue ones, as she slid her hand around his considerable length and she enjoyed the way he shuddered and the sheer pleasure on his face. He was so hard it was almost painful to the touch and he slowly pushed inside her. As he filled her all the way, she hummed pleasurably and he began to move with steady pulses. His pulses quickly became thrusts, as he found the rhythm and he was soon plunging inside her deeply. Mary trembled beneath him and found herself raking her nails along his back, as he took her, ravishing her to a completeness she had never imagined possible before him. This man, in a matter of months, had come into her life and completely swept her into a deep love and incredible romance that she had been sure only existed in books before.

She trailed open mouthed kisses along his neck and lightly bit his shoulder, as he pumped inside her, his hips colliding with hers in an incredible sexual dance of pure ecstasy.

"Dav...id..." she cried breathlessly, as the heat in her core reached its peak again and she writhed in orgasm again.

"I love you..." he rasped, as he drove into her again and again, his cock surging effortlessly into her tight, dripping heat.

"You feel so good..." he managed to utter, as she quaked and clenched around him, until he could finally take no more and came inside her in a rush of carnal euphoria, before collapsing beside her.

He breathed heavily and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him, as she cuddled atop him and their lips met in short, tender pecks.

"You make me happier than I ever thought possible," she mentioned, as she idly traced the lines of definition on his bare chest. He kissed her hair and then took her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"And I promise to keep making you happy...forever," he promised, as their lips mt again in a passionate kiss. He knew there was still possible trouble and danger ahead and the still present obstacles of the curse. But he was determined and ready to fight whatever came their way. And once the curse did break, Snow would be there right by his side. He wasn't letting Regina separate them ever again or letting Damon hurt them. Good would win...the fate of his family depended on it...

~*~

A Few Days later

The past few days had been routine and mostly quiet. She had sent David to handle a call that came in and then after that was handled, he went to surprise Mary Margaret with lunch. Since nothing was going on, she decided to head over to the diner for lunch too and made the short drive in the bug.

Once she arrived, she ordered a grilled cheese and onion rings. As she was getting ready to take her order back to the station, August motioned her over to his table.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Nothing much...I just wanted to remind you that I still owe you a drink," he replied.

"It's a little early for alcohol, don't you think?" she teased. He chuckled.

"I was actually thinking more along the lines of us taking a ride somewhere and sharing a drink there," he suggested. She looked at him skeptically.

"So...guy I barely know that comes to town all mysterious wants me to hop on the back of his motorcycle to go somewhere? Trust me, I've seen that movie and I'm not as dumb as the girl in the movie," she retorted, making him laugh again.

"Well...have you seen the one where the girl and the guy, just friends, take a ride on his motorcycle and he answers all the girl's questions about why he's so mysterious?" he asked. She gave him a scrutinizing stare.

"So...you're ready to talk?" she asked. August hid a wince, as the pain in his leg shot through him again.

"I'm ready to tell you everything," he replied.

"Fine...let's go," she replied, as she followed him out and put the extra helmet on. August started the engine and drove off, unaware that David had just driven up to the diner, having seen Emma's bug. He had no idea what August W. Booth's intentions were and him taking his daughter anywhere made him uneasy. He was determined to finally expose this man and get to the bottom of all his lies. With that, he slowly followed, keeping an inconspicuous distance so as to not alert him.

~*~

Emma followed August a little ways into the woods and saw a well.

"You know, you leading me into the woods isn't inspiring a lot of confidence that you're not some crazy slasher. I've seen this movie too," she commented.

"Relax...I told you I'm taking you for a drink," he retorted, as he gestured to the well.

"Well water...boy you sure know how to impress a woman. Nothing screams cheapskate like taking a woman out for water from a well," Emma quipped.

"This isn't just an ordinary well though. The story is that this well can return what has been lost," he replied.

"And you've lost something?" she asked.

"We both have," he responded and she sighed, as he put some water in two small, paper cups.

"Look...the riddles are getting old and I'm about done. Since you've come to Storybrooke. You've shown an unhealthy interest in me and my son. And you owe me an explanation," she demanded sharply.

"You're right...I do," he agreed.

"Who are you really?" she questioned.

"I'm not sure you'll believe me if I tell you," he started to say.

"I think you'd be surprised by what I believe...so try me," she replied. He sighed and lifted his pant leg.

"Tell me what you see," he requested.

"Whoa...I didn't know you had a wooden leg," she said and his eyes widened in shock.

"You...you can see it?" he asked in disbelief. She looked at him like he was losing it.

"Uh yeah...I have two eyes in my head that aren't just for decoration, you know," she quipped, with a shrug.

"I didn't even know they still used wooden prosthesis," she commented. His eyes were wide as saucers, for he had never anticipated the possibility that she believed already.

"You believe…" he uttered.

"All right, you're really starting to creep me out. What the hell is this all about?" she asked.

"You know…" he said.

"Know what?" she prodded impatiently.

"The curse...you believe," he stammered. At that point, Emma was tired of him beating around the bush. She grabbed him by the collar.

"Fine...let's be on the level. Yes...I know about the curse. I know everything. The question is...how and why do you know?" she demanded to know and he swallowed thickly, trying to gather his thoughts. She knew...and it changed everything.

"I'd be careful with your answer too. Because if I think you're a threat to my family...I will take you out," Emma threatened.

"I know...because I'm from the same place you are," he answered, as he handed her some folded pages.

"What is this?" she asked.

"My story...it's not in the book, but you need to know it. I assume you've read the book" he replied.

"Cover to cover," she responded, as she unfolded the pages and saw Marco, who she knew was really Geppetto with a little boy. Her eyes shot up to him in surprise.

"You're Pinocchio?" she asked. He nodded.

"But how…" she wondered in confusion, as she continued to scan the pages. August looked down shamefully.

"You went through the wardrobe...that's why you've aged," Emma realized.

"Yes…" he answered.

"But it only took one," Emma countered.

"No...it took two. It could have take your parents to this land before your mother went into labor," he confessed.

"But that's not what Blue said," Emma stated.

"She lied Emma...she lied to them at my father's insistence. He was scared for me, so he refused to build the wardrobe unless I took one of those spots," he confessed.

"Oh my God!" Emma exclaimed.

"Emma...I'm sorry. He thought your mother would go through before you were born and take care of us both," he reasoned.

"Without my father!" she cried.

"I know! He was wrong, but he was just trying to protect me! Blue instructed me to take care of you, but I failed," August lamented.

"You were the little boy that found me that night," she realized.

"Yes and instead of staying with you, I left. I wasn't selfless, brave, or true. And now, I'm paying for it," August replied, indicating his leg. Emma backed away and took a few deep breaths, trying to comprehend everything.

"Well...now I guess I know why you're a liar. It runs in your family," Emma spat angrily.

"I know he lied, Emma, but he was doing what any parent would do," August said, as he cut off and was looking beyond Emma. She turned to see her father standing there with a myriad of emotions on his face.

"Dad...how much did you hear?" she asked.

"Dad?" August asked in confusion, as the man he had once known only as Prince Charming advanced on him.

"All of it…" he growled, as he grabbed him by the collar.

"You're...you're awake!" August realized in alarm.

"They lied to us?" David growled. August gulped.

"Y..yes," he stammered.

"We could have gone with her?!" David shouted.

"Yes...I'm sorry," August apologized.

"Sorry? Do you know what she had to go through?!" he screamed.

"Dad.." Emma pleaded.

"Yes...don't you think I went through much of the same?!" August retorted.

"No...you left her…" David growled.

"I was a child," he reminded.

"Daddy...please!" Emma cried, knowing that would get his attention. David released him and swept Emma into a bone crushing hug.

"I'm so sorry Emma...we didn't know," he cried.

"I know," she said tearfully.

"We could have gone with you," he choked.

"Dad...I still had you and Mom though, in the dreamscape. You both were with me every night," she reminded.

"Dreamscape?" August asked in confusion.

"It's a long story," she replied.

"But Emma...if you know about everything, then why haven't you broken the curse yet?" he asked.

"Excuse me? Don't you think I'm trying?" she exclaimed.

"You're the only one that can bring back the happy endings. It all depends on you," August said.

"Stop...just stop! Emma will break the curse, but she doesn't need you pressuring her!" David snapped.

"Or maybe she needs her Daddy to stop coddling her," August retorted.

"How dare you…" David growled, as he grabbed him by his jacket and reached into it to extract the dagger.

"My daughter doesn't need advice from a thief and a liar," the prince spat.

"How did you know I had the dagger?" August asked evenly.

"We watched you take it. I let you do so to see what you were up to and if what you told my grandson was true; that you were Rumpelstiltskin's son, which is obviously a lie," David spat.

"I may be a thief and a liar, but at least I'm not working for the Dark One. I gotta say, I never thought I'd see the day Prince Charming was a minion of Rumpelstiltskin. And to think, I used to look up to you," August retorted.

"Judge me all you want, but you won't use my daughter to fulfill some kind of absolution you're seeking. Gold and I have teamed up, because we want the same thing and that's to break the curse. But you...stealing the dagger. Why would you risk stealing from someone like Gold?" David questioned.

"It's not like I have a lot to lose," August answered, as he lifted his pant leg and David let go of him.

"So you stole the dagger, hoping it had magic or would eventually have magic. Then you'd force Gold to fix you," the prince stated.

"Yes...but it's progressing too fast and there's no magic. That's why I need Emma to break the curse," he confessed. David scoffed.

"So that's it...you don't care about the rest of us or her. You just want her to fix you. You just want to use her," David growled.

"She's the Savior...it's her destiny to save us," he argued.

"Stop! Just stop! She's my daughter first!" David shouted, surprising Emma.

"Snow and I...that's all we heard while Snow was pregnant. And I'll admit, it was a point of pride for us. Our daughter...the Savior. But then we spent twenty-eight years in a dreamscape with each other and we realized, all we wanted was to be together as a family. But we only could be while asleep, while our little girl faced this world alone, because she was the Savior. And we realized that pride was a burden she should have never had to bare alone," he said passionately.

"She may be the Savior and she will break the curse. But I won't let anyone use her for their twisted schemes or some kind of absolution to their guilt," he added, as he turned away and put his arm around Emma's shoulders, leading her away.

"You don't think Gold won't use her?" August called back.

"Gold only wants to find his child. I get that so we'll help him," David retorted.

"You're wrong...Gold wants power. Power is always first with him," August warned, as they ignored him and exited the woods.

August pondered everything that just happened. For everything he thought he knew, he realized he really knew nothing. For all the scenarios he considered, there was never one where Emma was not only a believer, but had also been raised by her parents, at least when she was asleep. Add to that, having the Prince awake was another thing he hadn't counted on. With all this going for them and yet the curse was still in tact.

This changed everything. He realized then that convincing Neal to let Emma go so she could fulfill her destiny had been unnecessary. Another family broken, because of all this. And if the Prince found out the hand he playing in Emma going to prison, he wouldn't have to worry about turning back to wood...


	34. Friction

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 34: Friction

"Dad…" Emma started to say, as they walked back to the cruiser. He stopped and turned to her and surprised her by cupping her face in his hands.

"Emma...I'm so sorry…" he cried.

"Dad...you didn't know. They lied to you and Mom. I know we're both feeling a lot of things right now, but if you think any of my anger is at you and Mom, don't…" she replied. He sighed.

"We trusted them...I mean, Regina caused all this, but it looks like we still put our faith in people that didn't deserve that," he said bitterly.

"I know...of all the people I thought he might be, Pinocchio wasn't one of them. Though the lying thing makes a whole lot more sense now," she mentioned.

"It does?" David asked in confusion, not quite making the connection.

"Oh well...the story that this land tells about Pinocchio is that he was a wooden boy and the only way he could become a real boy is to be selfless, brave, and true. But for most of the story, Pinocchio lies. But he does the right thing in the end, so the Blue Fairy makes him a real boy. That's where the story ends, but I guess we know he didn't go on to keep that promise in real life," Emma explained.

"And these kind of stories are designed to entertain children?" he asked. Emma smiled. Her father was still very much trying to figure out how this world worked.

"Well...in the movie his nose grows every time he lies," she replied. David chuckled, suddenly getting the same mental image she had of August's nose growing.

"Okay...that does make it better," he agreed, as he put his arm around her.

"How do you think Gold will take it?" she asked.

"Probably better than I did, at least on the surface. He doesn't exactly betray a lot of emotion, except anger maybe. I think he'll disappointed though. I get that...I wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't find my child," he replied, looking at her.

"August is wrong too...about you helping Gold. As wary of him as you always told me to be, I really do think he just wants Belle and to find his son, for the most part," she reasoned. He nodded.

"August isn't wrong about the power part...I just hope love will be enough in the end. Believe me, back in our land, I never thought I would have anything to do with him willingly," David added.

"But things are different here," Emma surmised.

"They are...he is or seems that way, I don't know. There's no magic here either. I used to think he was raving mad back in our land. Trusting him might be a risk, but it's one I have to take," he explained. She smiled.

"August is wrong not to look up to you. Everything you've ever done has been for Mom and me," Emma mentioned.

"All I've ever wanted was to be with my family and we're going to have that, Emma, I promise," he assured. She smiled, as they got into the cruiser and headed back to town.

~*~

Flashback

Fourteen Months Before the Dark Curse

The thundering hooves of horses echoed through the forest, along the dirt pathway. In the near distance stood the Dark Castle, a place to be avoided. The people on horseback headed for this castle with purpose must have been brave or desperate, for no one willing went there. The horses slowed and revealed a man and a woman, in riding clothes that spoke that they were of importance. The handsome man swept his long cape out of the way, as he dismounted and offered his hand to his beautiful companion. They laced their fingers together in an intimate gesture, as they approached the Dark Castle. They found it open and went inside.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" the man shouted. They were met with a high pitched giggle.

"Well, my, my, my...to what pleasure do I owe a visit from Snow White and Prince Charming?" he asked in a sing-song voice.

"Information...about an encounter we had with a bloodsucker," David answered. Rumple had known this day would soon come with his foresight and all. The heathen he had reluctantly assisted had encountered Snow White and while neither of them knew why, he was drawn to her. Rumple could only imagine the depravity in store in his warped mind for the child of Persephone.

"There are no more bloodsuckers in existence. Zeus saw to that centuries ago," Rumple stated, as he appeared suddenly before them. He looked them up and down and was a bit disappointed. No Savior yet...but he had no doubt that it would be very soon, especially given the way these two seemed hold each other so close. True love and all its physical wonders, indeed.

"Then he missed one, perhaps," Charming suggested.

"Or perhaps he only appears vampire-likeon the surface," Rumple countered.

"Then you know the being we speak of?" Snow questioned. He giggled.

"Oh yes...Snow White, the being that has become so captivated by the fairest of them all is none other than Deimos, God of Terror...or at least he was," the Dark One answered.

"Was?" Charming asked.

"After trying to overthrow Zeus, he was punished and stripped of his immortality. However, being a valuable minion to Hades, he ingested ambrosia leaves and restored his immortality," Rumple replied.

"And the part where he drinks blood?" Charming asked impatiently.

"I was getting to that…" Rumple snapped.

"To maintain the effects of the ambrosia, he must ingest blood at least once a month, every full moon or his immortality will be null and void," he continued.

"But the ambrosia warped his mind and instead of obtaining only the small amount of blood he needs, he favors killing his victims instead, always female, after he's done rather depraved things to them," Rumple added. Snow visibly shuddered and instinctively, Charming put his arms around her.

"He said things to me...that he wanted to keep me," Snow stammered, as she recalled the frightening memory.

"Do you know why he would hone in on Snow? Why he's become obsessed with her? We've had several very close calls," Charming said, his face showing how frightened he was for his wife.

"His strength...it's inhuman. Without Red…" Charming started to say, but Snow clutched his leather jerkin and he didn't finish his sentence.

"Yes…" Rumple said, knowing where he was going and theyshared a long gaze, with Charming seeing a flicker of understanding? He recalled once that the Dark One spoke of a love that he had lost. This man, as twisted and dark as he was, understood the fear that plagued him. But just as quickly as the flicker flashed in his eyes, it was gone.

"And what is it that you want from me?" Rumple asked.

"Answers...a way to defeat him...something! I cannot let such a monster stalk and hunt my wife. His terror has to end...I would rather die than see her tormented and Gods forbid taken by that animal," Charming implored passionately, as she clung to him.

"And if I perhaps had some information...then what would you give me in return?" Rumple inquired.

"Anything...name for your price," the prince responded.

"Charming…" Snow whimpered, fearing for what this imp might want in return.

"No price is too high for your safety, my darling," he told her.

"Defeating a being such as an immortal is not easy...but nor is it impossible. This one, in particular, has a weakness that can be exploited on the next Harvest Moon. And since it is autumn, you shall not have to wait long," Rumple stated.

"What happens on the Harvest Moon?" Snow asked.

"On this one night, his immortality is null and void due to this particular phase of the moon and astrological alignment. On this one night, you can battle him in hopes of winning and kill him," Rumple stated.

"With his immortality gone, so will be his superior strength," Charming said, hope in his voice.

"Yes...but he will still be a formidable opponent. You must bring your wolf friend. You must tear him to shreds...quite literally and burn the remains. Only then will he die. Accomplish this before first light or all your efforts will be vain," Rumple warned.

"And what's your price for this information?" he asked. Rumple stared at them with scrutiny. He had everything he needed from them so far. He already had bottled their true love with their hairs and it was safely hidden away for a rainy day. The next thing he needed from them would occur soon enough on its own. In fact, telling them this information benefited him, for it wouldn't do well for his plans if Prince Charming was killed and Snow White became a possession of that depraved creature, never having conceived the Savior. No...he needed these two very much alive and together. But he had a reputation to keep, so he had to make something up.

"You'll owe me a favor and I can call in this favor at the time of my choosing," Rumple decided.

"Deal," Charming agreed, as he led Snow out of the castle. Deimos was a complication to his plans that he didn't need. Unbeknown to them, they were actually already doing him the favor by eradicating him from existence. He was certain it would happen soon. The Savior would be conceived and then the curse would come, taking him to the land where Bae was...

~*~

After going back to the station, David set out on foot for Gold's shop and entered through the back way as usual, careful to make sure no one was following or watching him. Sidney Glass always seemed to be lurking somewhere and he had learned quickly how to spot the weasel. He had been distracted obviously on his and Mary's wedding night, but knew that's how Regina found out so quickly. His meetings with Gold and Jefferson, however, needed to remain secret. Regina suspected they were already working together, but if she learned the things they discussed, it would not bode well to their advantage.

"You don't look happy," Jefferson commented, as he joined them in them in the front of the shop. David pulled the dagger from his inside jacket pocket and placed it in front of Gold.

"You got it back...then you confronted him," the Hatter said.

"I didn't think it was part of the plan for you to confront him alone," Gold replied, though he was relieved to have the dagger back. He pocketed it inside his own jacket pocket.

"Things changed. Our friend on the motorcycle invited my daughter to take a ride with him earlier...so I followed them," David explained.

"What did you find out?" Jefferson asked.

"A whole lot more than I ever imagined," David replied, as he took a deep breath, trying to calm his temper.

"He took Emma into the woods...to a well. At first, he kept trying to lead her into the conversation about the curse with his vague riddles, but she wasn't having any of it. My daughter isn't exactly one for beating around the bush," he commented. Jefferson smirked.

"Like her father," he agreed.

"Anyway...I think he was expecting to have to convince her that the curse was real. Only Emma shocked him when she revealed that she knew everything. She was done with his crap and demanded to know how and why he knew about the curse. And what his interest in her and Henry was. Something I wanted to know as well," David continued.

"So...who is he? Is he Baelfire?" Jefferson asked impatiently.

"No...he's not. I'm sorry," David replied, looking Gold in the eyes. The older man remained stoic, though his emotions raged inside in a myriad of varying degrees.

"But it's probably best he's not, because I think you'd rather not have a liar for a son," the prince added bitterly.

"Okay...so who is this guy? If he isn't Baelfire, then how the hell does he know so much about the curse?" Jefferson asked.

"Because he's actually Pinocchio and his lying father put him through the wardrobe before I put Emma through," David growled, as he gripped the counter top so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Wait...so it took more than one?" the Hatter asked. David smiled bitterly.

"Yep...and if they had just told us the truth, Snow and I could have gone with her!" he shouted.

"So the woodworker put the boy through...and what? Just expected him to take care of an infant?" Jefferson asked.

"I think the old man counted on Snow going through while still pregnant with Emma. I'm not really convinced he cared either way. I mean...I get he was trying to protect her child. But Emma needed us…" he lamented.

"I guess I'm still confused as to how he fits in all this. I mean...where's he been?" Jefferson asked.

"Oh, that's the best part. They ended up in the same foster home, but he left Emma. I know he was a boy, but he still left her. And now he's back, not because he cares about any of us or my daughter, but because he's turning back to wood. And he's determined that my daughter break the curse to save his worthless skin," David said.

"Well...not that it's much comfort, but there is a chance the curse breaking won't fix him anyway," Gold offered.

"What do you mean?" David asked. Gold gave a small shrug.

"The magic used to turn him into a real person was given to him by the Blue Fairy. If he broke her conditions, then the curse breaking or not may not help him. His selfishness will be his own undoing," Gold surmised.

"Serves him right. The only reason he even bothered to come here was to use my daughter," David said.

"That still doesn't explain why he took my dagger," Gold stated.

"I think he either might know there's a chance the curse won't fix him or he was hoping there was magic in it. I think he hoped to use it to force you to fix him if all else failed," David deduced. Jefferson snorted.

"Yeah, because that plan wasn't going to blow up in his face or anything. At least the lying thing makes sense now," the Hatter commented. David scoffed.

"That's exactly what Emma said," he agreed.

"So what now? Emma believes, you and Snow are together, even if she doesn't have her memories. Happy endings are slowly being restored...what are we missing?" Jefferson wondered.

"I wish I knew," David responded.

"It will come. Regina will soon take drastic measures to regain a stronghold on the town and Emma will face her. Not even I've been able to see how she will break the curse, but she is the product of true love and that is key," Gold stated. David sighed.

"I just wish there was more I could do to help. I don't like that it's all on Emma," he mentioned.

"You are helping her...by being there. Don't take for granted that you can actually do that. I only wish Grace knew the truth," Jefferson said bitterly. David looked at him.

"I'm sorry...sometimes I forget that you get it," he apologized.

"It's fine...like he said, we have to be close. Everything seems to be coming to a head, especially since we know for sure that Regina knows that Emma knows," he mentioned. He had reluctantly informed them of Emma's slip after assuring her that he wasn't angry that she did. It was a mistake, after all, and he was pretty sure Regina had already figured out who she was.

"I guess we'll just have to be ready for whatever she throws at us and have each other's backs. I think we can agree on that," the prince stated. He received a nod from Jefferson and nothing from Gold, but knew he would do what needed to be done when it came to furthering their cause.

"I'm going to go pick up Mary," he said, as he left, slipping out the back. At the forefront of his mind was the moment he would eventually have to tell Snow about the lie they were told by people they trusted. He knew it was going to devastate her as much as it had devastated him. He would need to tell Stephanie too and knew her reaction would be about the same as his. For now though, he was going to be with his family and mentally prepare himself for the battle he knew was coming. The battle he could practically feel humming in his veins.

~*~

Mary walked around the room, quietly observing, as her students worked on the latest art project she had assigned. The evening before, she and David had gone on one of their evening walks with Wilby as they often did, and the night had been so clear, they had been able to see a sky blanketed by stars. That gave her the idea to work in a basic lesson into their time allotted for science that week about constellations. And now her students were happily sketching drawings of their favorite constellation. As she returned to her desk, she happened to glance out the window and jumped in fright, causing her to almost trip over her chair. Damon Tromera stood outside her window with a smug smirk on his face. Her heart raced and she almost didn't hear Henry when he asked her a question.

"Miss Blanchard...are you okay?" the boy asked in concern. She turned her head and looked at him and then glanced back at the window, this time finding no one there now.

"Um...I'm fine Henry, just clumsy," she replied. He didn't look convinced and looked to the window, wondering what she had seen to startle her so badly. Mary was wondering, however, if she had really seen him or if her mind was playing tricks on her. But she had a sinking gut feeling that he had been there and was intent on seeing to her torment. She took a deep breath and that was the moment the bell chose to ring.

"You can put your drawings in your desks and we'll finish them tomorrow," Mary called to them, as her students gathered their things and she watched them file out. As they did, she saw her husband peak in and smile at her.

"Hey…" he greeted, as he came into the room once all her students were gone.

"Hey yourself handsome," she greeted in return, as she welcomed his strong arms around her. She surprised him by eagerly pressing her lips to his in a kiss, of which he gladly returned.

"Yeah...hello to you too," he purred, as their lips parted. She giggled, as he pecked her on the lips again.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked. She nodded and glanced at the window again, shuddering slightly at the memory and he frowned.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes...especially now," she replied.

"No...something's bothering you. What's going on?" he asked.

"It's nothing...I think I was just imagining things," she replied, trying to brush it off as nothing.

"My darling...you know that you can tell me anything," he implored. She sighed.

"I happened to glance up and out the window a few minutes ago and I thought I saw him there. But I looked away briefly and then when I looked back, he was gone. I think my mind was just playing tricks on me," she assured him. But he wasn't convinced. This was just like that monster. He'd done this too, back in their land. He'd pop up in the gardens, just below their balcony in the castle, just to frighten her. He'd be there one minute and gone by the time he came, enjoying toying with her and forcing her to constantly look over her shoulder.

"Maybe I better go take a look around outside," he suggested.

"No...please, let's just go home. I don't want to waste anymore thought or energy on him," she pleased. He kissed her hair.

"Okay…" he relented, as she gathered her things up and they left for the day, hand in hand.

~*~

Emma locked up the station for the night, after forwarding the phones to her cell and headed out to the bug. About that time, Archie was walking by with Pongo and she gave him a friendly nod.

"Emma...I was hoping I could speak to you for a moment?" he inquired.

"Uh sure...I guess we can go back inside," she replied, as she unlocked the station and he followed her in with Pongo.

"What's up?" Emma asked, glad they weren't still standing out in the cold.

"I'm afraid this is a bit difficult for me to ask, but I recently became aware of your history with being seen by a psychiatrist," Archie replied gently. Emma's jaw clenched and she felt her blood boil.

"The only way you could know about that is if Regina gave you my file...the file she had no right to gain access to!" Emma shouted.

"I know...I know, what she did was so wrong and completely unethical. I'm not even sure how she got into your sealed records. But I promise I'm only asking out of concern for Henry," he pleaded.

"What you do mean...you read my file!" she exclaimed.

"Regina told me about your brief sessions when you were about Henry's age. I only looked at it to see the actual facts for myself without her opinions or scrutiny," he explained.

"I can't believe this...she was bad enough...I expect it from her. But you...she threatened you again, didn't she?" Emma asked. The ginger haired man looked down in shame.

"I'm so sorry Emma...but I do want what's best for Henry and now his inability to distinguish fiction from reality makes a lot of sense! Often time...mental illness can be hereditary," Archie stammered.

"Mental illness? Henry has an active imagination...so did I!" Emma shot back.

"Emma...let's be honest. Your trauma of being abandoned on the side of a road led to you creating this dream world for yourself that you told the therapist about. The one where your parents were Snow White and Prince Charming. It's not your fault...not with the situation you were in. Nor is it Henry's fault...in fact, knowing your history will help me properly treat him," Archie stated.

"Treat him? You don't mean like medication?" Emma asked in horror.

"No...no...that would be a last resort," he assured.

"But I can tell there's something else," Emma retorted, as she crossed her arms over her chest. He looked down, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Look at me," Emma snapped, as he looked up.

"Henry's not really getting better. In fact, since you came to town, his talk of curses and fairy tales is even more prevalent," Archie stated.

"He's happy!" Emma cried.

"You're enabling him, Emma and I'm afraid it is my professional opinion that any time you spend with Henry should be supervised," Archie said regrettably. Emma's mouth dropped open in shock.

"I don't believe this…" Emma uttered.

"Emma…" Archie started to say.

"She did it...she actually did it. She's found a way to keep Henry from me," Emma muttered. She clenched her teeth and her green eyes were stormy.

"Emma…" he tried again.

"Get out…" she growled. He hesitated for a moment though.

"Get out!" she shouted. He jumped and hurried Pongo along, as he exited. Deep down, Emma knew it wasn't really his fault, but she was too blindsided to care about his feelings at the moment. She angrily swiped some papers off her desk.

"If you think you've won, Regina...you've got another thing coming," she hissed.


	35. Piece By Piece

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 35: Piece By Piece

The Dreamscape

When Emma finally found sleep that night, she sought her parents out, finding them in the meadow. She had tried to keep them mostly sheltered from what was going on in Storybrooke, but just a few nights ago, she had told them mostly everything that had happened.

They knew Deimos was alive and that had been a hard enough pill to swallow, but when she finally told them everything his counterpart had done and was getting away with, it was truly devastating. Her father lamented about her mother's safety and how it was even possible that he was even alive. No one seemed to know how that was possible either.

This all had been difficult enough for them to take and she hated seeing the fear behind her mother's eyes at the revelation that her tormentor was alive, even though she tried to hide that fear from her daughter.

But this...telling them about the wardrobe was probably one of the most difficult things she had faced in a very long time. Awake, her father was already aware, obviously, but he still was not retaining the memories of anything going on while awake. And really, August had been the one to spill the secret anyhow, leaving Emma grasping at how she was going to tell him now.

Then there was her mother. She had decided against telling her about her biological mother and the origins that she was unaware of. In the dreamscape, her father remained unaware of it as well. She made the decision that Persephone should break the news personally to Snow when the curse was broken. After all, Snow didn't have an inkling to who this woman was, unlike her counterpart. Mary had built a strong friendship and bond with Stephanie. That secret might come easier, especially since it was one with love behind it and circumstance beyond anyone's control.

But the secret about the wardrobe...this secret would only cause anguish and pain. The only benefit of telling them now was giving her mother time to process these emotions in the dreamscape so when she finally did wake up, maybe the pain wouldn't be so fresh. She knew the anger and betrayal they would feel wouldn't dissipate overnight, but the dreamscape was often therapeutic and she only hoped this setting could help with the blow this would be to them. And then there was Regina's latest ploy; an attempt to keep Henry away from her by using a very painful time in her life. Her own emotions were raw and there had been a lot of alcohol consumed that evening.

"Emma…" Snow called, as a smile eclipsed her face; a smile that spoke of a mother's pure adoration for her child.

"Hi Mom…" she said softly and Snow frowned at her subdued nature, as they hugged tightly. She hugged her father next, feeling his hand on the back of her head and her mother's hands on her back.

"Something else has happened...hasn't it?" Snow asked.

"A lot...and none of it's really good. I mean...you guys are okay and happy, because you're together…" she said, quickly adding the last part.

"Then there must be a lot going on around us. I mean, I know Regina won't just let us be together without creating a lot of trouble around us," Charming stated. She blew out a breath.

"Yeah...she's a piece of work. But unfortunately, she's not the only one that's done something," Emma replied.

"Sweetheart...you can tell us anything," Snow implored.

"Mom...this is going to crush you and Dad. And I don't want to do that! I hate this!" she lamented. Snow pulled her daughter into another hug.

"Oh baby...I love you for trying to protect us. But whatever it is...your father and I will get through it. And then we can help you get through it too," she said.

"She's right...you don't have to do this alone, princess," he added. In a moment of sheer vulnerability and anxiety, Emma finally broke down, probably in a way she wouldn't have awake and fell sobbing into her mother's arms. Snow and Charming were alarmed that their baby was in so much pain, but pushed aside their own fears. Snow gently cradled her and rocked her, as she cried against her mother's chest, while Charming's soothing hand moved up and down her back. And Snow knew one thing: whoever had hurt her daughter so deeply was going to pay dearly the moment she awakened from the curse.

"Baby...tell us what happened," Snow soothed. Emma sniffed.

"Do you remember when I was little and I used to tell people all the time that you two were my parents and that I would see you in my dreams every night?" she asked Snow smiled and swiped a few of her tears away with her thumbs.

"Of course...when you were very small, you said people accepted this and even seemed to think it was cute," she recalled. Emma nodded.

"But then it changed when you were a little older and they were unkind about it," David added, hating the cruelty she had faced alone.

"Yeah...I guess there's an age limit on what you are allowed to still believe in," she said bitterly.

"Anyway...remember they made me see a therapist and I told them about you guys and the curse, because I didn't know any better?" she asked.

"Of course...but honey, none of that was your fault. You said the people in this land just don't understand. That to them, magic and our stories are just figments of imagination," Snow reasoned.

"Yeah...and after they told me I was delusional, I stopped telling them and everyone else about the dreamscape and you guys so they wouldn't force pills down me," she added. Charming felt his fist clench at that. He hoped for their sake he never found this therapist that had been so callous and careless with his little girl's well being.

"I guess somehow Regina found a way to get into my private files and she's using that history to force Henry's therapist to recommend that I can only see him with supervision," Emma choked out.

"Oh Emma…" Charming uttered, as he shared a pained look with his wife.

"I mean, I gave him up and never thought I'd see him again. Then he came into my life and nowI never want to let him go," she lamented.

"Oh sweetie...I know...I know…" Snow cried with her.

"When we were forced to give you up...I thought that was it. I wouldn't see you for twenty-eight years. The dreamscape has been a blessing for us. I can't imagine now what it would have been like to not know you for all those years, even if it's only here," Snow mentioned.

"You have no idea…" Emma muttered. Charming's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She sighed.

"That's the other part of what I have to tell you and it's going to be really hard to hear. It's going to cause you both a lot of pain…" she replied. They exchanged a glance.

"We're ready...whatever it is, we need to know, even if it's hard to hear," he said. She took a deep breath.

"Blue and Geppetto lied to you. The wardrobe took two," she blurted out. Her parents stared at her for a moment in complete silence.

"What?" her father questioned first.

"I don't understand...why would they…" her mother uttered.

"Geppetto put Pinocchio through the wardrobe first...before me," she explained.

"But...that means…" Snow stammered, as she reached out to her husband for support. He put his arms around her, even as he felt his own knees want to give out.

"You and Dad could have gone through before I was even born," she told them tearfully. Snow let out a choked sob.

"We...we could have gone with you…" Snow realized. Emma nodded sadly.

"Why...why would they lie?" Charming asked with anguish.

"I think Geppetto was scared for his son. I don't know why Blue went along with it," Emma replied.

"But...you needed us. A little boy can't raise a baby," Snow said. She nodded.

"Pinocchio was found with me that night and we apparently ended up in the same orphanage. But he left me soon after," she admitted.

"He left you?" Charming asked through clenched teeth. She shrugged.

"He was seven...he was put in a really bad position he wasn't old enough to deal with," she admonished.

"But if he left you...how did you find all this out?" he asked, as he glanced at his wife and started to worry. Her face was ashen and her green eyes blank.

"He came to town to track me down. He wants me to break the curse...that's another story all its own," she muttered. Charming glance down and gently caressed Snow's face.

"Snow…" he said.

"We could have gone with her…" Snow uttered, as she looked up at him.

"I know…" he said, sharing in her grief.

"Why...why would they lie to us? We trusted them...I thought they were friends," she hissed.

"I'm not sure...but they will have to face us, all of us, and explain why," he reasoned.

"Emma...I'm so sorry…" Snow lamented.

"It's not your fault, Mom. That's why I said the dreamscape is truly a blessing, even more than we originally thought. Because I've never truly been alone," she replied, as they hugged her between them. They would still grieve at this realization and eventually demand answers from those that needed to explain, but as always, they would relish being together in any capacity.

"We love you, Emma," Snow said.

"I love you guys too," she replied, just content to let them hold her for now.

~*~

Regina tossed and turned in her bed that night in a fitful sleep. Worry about the curse breaking plagued her dreams. She had always feared this, but this dream was very real and vivid…

Regina came down the stairs at her house, as the doorbell rang and she opened it. Her heartbeat quickened, as she saw many pairs of eyes glowering at her murderously. All these eyes were awake and they were being led like a lynch mob by the Savior.

Emma clutched the hilt of her father's sword and drew the blade.

"Please…" Regina pleaded.

"Did you really think we'd let you get a pass for what you did to us?" David growled.

"What about what she did to me?" Regina spat, glaring at her step-daughter.

"We both know I did nothing to you. Your own mother ruined your life; not me. I was just your scapegoat. Your easy target. You did so many terrible things to me...and yet I still let you live. That was a mistake," Snow spat.

"A mistake we no longer have to live with," David added. Regina's eyes pleaded with the others present, Archie, Granny, Grumpy, Geppetto...but she found no sympathy in their eyes. Only hatred.

"Please…" Regina pleaded again.

"I stayed your execution once...and you stole my family as thanks. You belittled me and made me feel like I was nothing! Well, now you are nothing! There is no mercy this time. There is no eleventh hour plea! I just want you gone," Snow cried tearfully.

"But Henry…" Regina pleaded.

"You don't deserve him...he's my son and we both know it," Emma growled, as she brought the sword up and then in a downward stroke. Regina screamed.

The former Queen shot up in bed, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. It had been so real, almost like a guarantee of what was to come for her. Unless...she found a way to stop it. She had to get rid of Emma Swan...and she knew of one sure way to do it. The only person that could help her get what she needed to accomplish this though wanted nothing to do with her. But she smirked deviously. She had just the right leverage over him though. The Hatter wanted his daughter more than anything and she knew it would overrule any misplaced friendship he had with David Nolan. She knew exactly what she had to do and once she was victorious...Emma Swan would be no more. Then everyone that had crossed her would pay dearly...

~*~

Mary giggled the next morning, as they quietly tiptoed back behind the curtain that surrounded their bed from the bathroom, wrapped in only towels. It appeared Emma had passed out on the couch and she was glad to see she was still asleep. They had tried to be quiet in the shower, but that wasn't very easy for her with the things her husband had been doing to her.

"You are making getting ready for work very difficult this morning," she mentioned, as he kissed the back of her neck.

"I can't help it...I can't seem to get enough of you," he purred, as their lips met passionately. She lost herself in him again, as he kissed her neck.

"I have to get ready for work...and you have patrol…" she reminded. He grunted and reluctantly pulled away.

"Fine...but we are picking this up tonight," he promised and dropped his towel. Mary's eyes glazed, as she felt her knees weaken and sat down on the bed. Yes, she, Mary Margaret Blanchard, was ogling her husband. One thing she had learned since they had been together was that David was not shy about nudity. But then he had absolutely nothing to be shy about. Hard, shredded muscle through his arms, chest, and abs. Strong, powerful legs and a very nice ass, not to mention the well endowed manhood between his leg. She felt hot all over just thinking about those parts of him. If there was one thing that she was completely sure about: her husband was hot.

"See something you like, beautiful?" he asked coyly from over his shoulder, as he started getting dressed and she blushed.

"Mmm...can't a wife ogle her husband?" she returned coyly. He smirked and pecked her on the lips.

"Of course she can, especially when her husband very much enjoys ogling his beautiful, sexy wife," he purred, as he kissed her again.

"Mmm...why do we have to work today?" she whimpered in between soft, tender kisses.

"I know...if I had my way, we'd barely ever leave the bed," he said in a husky tone. Somehow though, they managed to get dressed and David made coffee, while she did her makeup and hair.

The smell of coffee is what finally roused a grumpy Emma and that's when they noticed the half drank bottle of tequila on the coffee table.

"Uh oh…" David mentioned.

"Emma...are you okay?" Mary asked gently, as she sat down beside her.

"God...why is it so bright?" the blonde complained. Mary and David exchanged a look. They knew that Emma downing a half a bottle of liquor didn't mean good things.

"Coffee and ibuprofen…" David said, as he set the items down in front of her.

"Thanks Dad...vid," she muttered, quickly correcting herself and thankfully, Mary didn't seem to notice her almost slip.

"Honey...what's going on? Why did you get drunk last night?" the raven haired beauty asked in concern.

"Cause Regina is a colossal bitch," Emma growled.

"What did she do now?" he asked.

"Oh, she just found a way to make sure I can only see Henry if the visits are supervised," she replied.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"How can she do that?" Mary questioned, just as outraged as her husband.

"I'm pretty sure she pressured Archie to break every ethical rule in the book and gave him my file from the time when I was seeing a therapist...I was around Henry's age," she explained. That was the moment David recalled everything she had told them in the dreamscape. Unfortunately, Mary was hearing it for the first time.

"It's Archie's professional opinion that it's best if he monitor our visits since I guess it's a crime to have an imagination when you're nine," she spat bitterly.

"Oh Emma...I'm so sorry," she said, as she hugged her.

"Thanks...but I'm going to fight her," she said.

"Of course we are," he agreed and Mary nodded with him. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks guys…" she said.

"Okay...I think I can handle things at the station today. You go up and go back to bed," David said.

"I'll be fine," Emma protested.

"No...you're not going to work, not until your head is a little clearer anyway," Mary added.

"Fine...man, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you two were my parents," she quipped, giving them an amused look, as she tromped upstairs.

"So stubborn...sometimes I really do feel like she's the kid around here," Mary mentioned, making him chuckle, as he kissed her hair.

"Come on…I'll walk you down to your car while I take Wilby out," he said, as the dog waited by the door. She kissed him and they joined hands, as they left.

~*~

Flashback

Seven Months Before the Dark Curse

The fire raged, as Charming lit the remains on fire. Lancelot added more kindling to the fire to make sure every ounce of him was burned. Snow stood back and gently draped the red cloak over the wolf, allowing Red to phase back into a human. She breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her best friend.

"Thank you," Snow choked.

"Of course...I couldn't let that monster hurt you. He's gone," Red assured. Charming stepped back from the fire and put his arm around her.

"It's over…" he assured and she put her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.

"Come on...let's get you home," he suggested, as the fire continued to rage. Lancelot watched the fire until it burned out and ensured there was nothing left but ashes before he left.

And once he did, Hades appeared, having been granted temporary access to the living plane by Ares, who appeared as well, with his other son, Deimos' twin, Phobos. 

"They did it...they killed him," Ares stated in disbelief.

"Father...Deimos brought this upon himself. Going after Persephone's daughter would have eventually incurred her wrath had the mortals not gotten to him first," Phobos reasoned.

"He was still your brother," Ares spat.

"He was...but the Ambrosia turned him into something unrecognizable. His obsession with Snow White was his undoing," Phobos reasoned.

"Your son is weak and soft, Ares. No wonder the mortals have less fear of us...the God of fear is a weak willed sop," Hades growled.

"Enough...you said you knew of a way to bring him back," Ares snapped.

"Yes...gather his ashes and we will journey to the vault of the Dark One. There and with a sacrifice, we can trade a life for a life. We shall choose our victim when we arrive," Hades stated. Using his magic, Ares swept up the ashes that were all that remained of Deimos and captured them in an urn, before the three of them disappeared.

~*~

Regina stood on the porch, which was home to the Larson family; a perfectly forgettable couple that wasn't even supposed to be married. The curse just threw them together and with it, custody of Paige. The curse story went that she was the mother's child from a previous marriage and the step-father was indifferent to her and his wife, spending most of his days drunk. It was the perfectly unhappy curse situation and she needed them to start a problem for her.

"Mayor Mills…" Amy Larson said in surprise.

"Good morning, Mrs. Larson. I was hoping you and your husband had a moment to discuss a very serious matter concerning your daughter," Regina replied.

"O...of course, please come in," the timid woman offered and Regina stepped inside. She crinkled her nose when she spotted the unshaven, half drunken man in the recliner. But she was happy with the bit of fear she still caused in most people when even the belligerent Fred Larson sat up a little straighter.

"You mentioned Paige...did she do something?" Amy asked. Fred scoffed.

"Whatever it was...feel free to lock the little brat up," Fred slurred.

"Oh no, Paige has done nothing wrong. But I'm afraid there is someone with quite a bit of interest in her. Tell me, have you ever seen this man before?" Regina asked, showing her a picture of Jefferson.

"N...no, I don't think so," she replied.

"Well...one of my employees has noticed this man frequently visiting the elementary school during recess over the past several months. And I'm afraid it's Paige that he's been watching. It's caused me great concern for your little girl. As mothers, we must protect our children from outsiders," Regina stated.

"He's watching Paige?" Amy asked in concern.

"Yes...and though I would be only too happy to file a complaint against him, as a person that is not directly involved with the situation, I'm afraid I can't," Regina replied, as she looked at the other woman.

"But you can," Regina replied.

"I...I don't know. I've never done anything like that before," Amy said.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't have to do it alone. I may not be able to file the complaint, but I can go with you. With me behind you, the Sheriff's department will have no choice but to take this matter very seriously. Remember...this is for Paige," Regina responded. The woman nodded.

"Thank you Madam Mayor, I would very grateful for your help," Amy agreed.

~*~

Mary observed recess from her post and enjoyed watching the kids play. But she found her eyes wandering to a particular child, as always. Henry looked sad and she hadn't seen him this down since before Emma came to town. She knew she wasn't supposed to interject herself into the situation that was between him and his therapist, but she couldn't help it with him. She felt so protective of him and while she would outwardly tell everyone that she loved all her students equally, that was a bit of a white lie. She loved Henry and he was definitely her favorite. He was special; she could just feel it.

That's why she found herself venturing toward the picnic table where he sat.

"Can I sit here?" she asked. He looked up and shrugged.

"Honey...Emma told me what happened. But you have to know that she won't stop fighting for you," Mary assured.

"It doesn't matter...she always wins! Good is supposed to win...but it can't in this place, because the Queen controls everything!" Henry said angrily.

"I know it seems like your Mother isn't a good person and I'll admit, I have a hard time seeing things her way. But I do know that Regina loves you," Mary reasoned.

"But some kids have two Moms. Some kids have a Mom and a Dad that don't live together. Why can't I just have them both?" he asked.

"Have you told your Mom how you feel?" Mary asked.

"She won't listen. She just keeps telling me that my book isn't real and that I have to see Archie twice a week now. She says Emma was the same as me when she was my age," Henry replied.

"There's nothing wrong with having imagination and dreams, Henry. Not everyone agrees with your Mother's views on that," Mary assured.

"But Emma's dreams were real! And so is my book, Miss Blanchard! You are Snow White and David is Prince Charming," Henry implored. She smiled.

"That's very sweet of you to think that," Mary said, as she squeezed his shoulder. Henry was about to continue, but Paige ran up to them at that moment, holding a box.

"Miss Blanchard...this is for you," she said.

"For me?" Mary asked. The girl nodded.

"That messenger asked me to give it to you," Paige replied, pointing to a man she didn't recognize walking away. Mary's brow furrowed and she opened the box. However, when she did, she let out a frightened scream and dropped the box to the ground. Paige and Henry peered inside, finding a dead bluebird, as other students and teachers gathered around to see the spectacle. Stephanie was quickly by her side and the two raven haired beauties saw him then, across the street and a safe distance away from the school, wearing a smug grin. And like he had done nothing, Damon Tromera walked away, sufficiently pleased with himself and the terror he had caused...


	36. Whatever It Takes

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 36: Whatever It Takes

August stood in front of the pawnshop, looking at it with trepidation. He had received a message at the front desk of the Inn this morning from Mr. Gold himself. The note requested his presence at the shop that afternoon and had stated expressly that his services as a writer were required.

He instantly wondered if it was a ruse. Surely by now, the Prince had told the Dark One everything about their encounter. He still didn't understand the Prince's motives for helping him and wondered what would happen when they found out they actually shared a grandson. He suspected that it would make their friendship stronger and something about that didn't set right with August. It frustrated him, because he felt the Prince should loathe the Dark One as much as he did, for he was the cause of all of this. However, August also was not a father and didn't have that kind of common ground that Gold and David shared.

Cautiously, he stepped inside the seemingly empty shop and felt his trepidation increase, as Mr. Gold came in from the backroom.

"Mr. Booth...you're late. I was beginning to think you weren't coming," Gold stated.

"Sorry...but I think you can understand my leeriness," August retorted.

"Leeriness? I simply called you here to hire you for a simple task," Gold responded, as August approached the counter.

"Why would you be leery? It's not as though you lied and were going to pretend to be my Baelfire...or that you stole my dagger," he hissed, as he grabbed August's shirt.

"Oh wait...you did exactly those things," he snarled at the formerly wooden boy. August's eyes were wide with fear and he was speechless, as he swallowed thickly.

"So...that's it? You're going to kill me?" he stammered. Gold growled and let go of him, as he stumbled back.

"No...I'll not waste time on such a meaningless task when you're soon to be scrap wood anyway," he hissed.

"Then what do you want? I'm not like the Prince. I won't make deals with the likes of you," August spat. Gold chuckled.

"You know, I love how you pretend you have any more of a moral streak than me. It's quite amusing, considering you're a liar and a thief. But I didn't call you here to talk about your failings as a real boy," he continued.

"Then what?" August asked.

"I want you to borrow young Henry's book and add these pages to it," Gold replied, as he handed him some finished pages that would fit in the book, complete with illustrations. August took a moment to look through the pages and his eyes widened.

"Is this story real?" he asked.

"As real as any other story in Henry's book," Gold answered.

"And Snow White doesn't know?" August asked again.

"Not yet...but she soon will when her daughter breaks the curse," Gold replied.

"Fine...but what will you do for me?" August asked. Gold sneered at him, as he grabbed him by the shirt again.

"I will promise not to use you for firewood…" he growled. August glared at him, as he released him. He had been debating whether he should tell him that he knew Baelfire, but Neal, as he went by now, didn't want him to know. And this was a promise August decided he would keep. As far as he was concerned, Neal was better off without this man in his life.

"Fine...I'll have to swipe the book from the kid, but it shouldn't take me long to add the pages," August replied, as he stalked out of the shop. He decided then though that it wasn't the only story he would be adding to the book. It was time to add his own as well…

~*~

Emma smacked the monitor and the screen blipped slightly, but remained frozen. It was no wonder though, it was still one of those clunky box monitors in true 1980's style. She had found money in the budget for a scanner, but it was proving to be incompatible with the dinosaur computer. She had been determined to streamline their filing system by scanning everything and eliminating the old, archaic way they did it now. But it was really hard to do with such outdated computers.

"I'd ask if you need my help, but I can barely use one of these things so I doubt I'd be able to fix it," David mentioned. She smirked at him.

"Yeah, watching you figure out a computer is kinda funny," she teased and he rolled his eyes.

"Here come the old jokes," he muttered, as she beat on the side of the monitor again.

"I may not know anything about them, but I don't think beating it up is going to work," he teased back. She smirked.

"It's been known to work on the bug," she quipped, as she started looking through Storybrooke's small phone book.

"I'll probably fall over in shock if Storybrooke actually has an IT guy," she mentioned, as she looked through it.

"If Regina would just give us the funding to upgrade the entire system, we wouldn't need one," he mentioned back. Emma snorted.

"Yeah, add that to a list of things that will happen when the Underworld freezes over," she commented, just as Regina walked in with a woman they didn't recognize trailing her.

"Speak of the devil," David muttered, making Emma snicker.

"Well...it's good to see that our Sheriff's department doesn't seem busy at all. You'll be able to devote your full attention to a very serious matter," Regina stated, as she motioned the woman that was with her.

"What are you talking about?" Emma questioned.

"This is Mrs. Larson...her daughter Paige is in the same grade as my Henry and I have brought some very startling facts to her attention," Regina stated.

"And what facts are those?" Emma asked. The timid woman looked up at her.

"I think someone is watching my little Paige...that shouldn't be," Amy said.

"Watching her?" Emma asked.

"Yes...he's been spotted on several occasions near the Elementary school during recess. These photos were taken and he is very clearly focused in on little Paige. It's quite concerning," Regina replied, as she dropped a file onto the desk and pictures of Jefferson at the school spilled out. Emma sighed, while David closed his eyes. It didn't take a lot to know exactly where this was going.

"I want a restraining order filed against Jefferson immediately," Regina snapped.

"Cool your jets, Mayorzilla...first of all, this is circumstantial at best and hardly a mountain of evidence," Emma retorted.

"I know Jefferson personally and I can assure you he doesn't mean any child harm," David added.

"You're not needed in this conversation, Deputy," Regina said dismissively.

"I'm concerned for my daughter, Sheriff and I'm in agreement with the Mayor. I don't want this strange man watching my little girl," Amy replied, causing Regina to smirk smugly.

"I trust you'll follow Mrs. Larson's wishes and file a restraining order immediately?" Regina asked. Emma glared at her.

"Consider it filed," the blonde answered.

"Good...see that it is delivered to him by the end of the day. And if he is caught within five hundred feet of the Elementary School again, I expect him to be arrested without question," the Mayor added.

"We'll do our jobs. It's not our department that seems to have shortcomings. I think we both know that's the justice system in this town...and the mental health system," Emma retorted, as they shared another glare.

"Come along Mrs. Larson, I'll drive you home," Regina said, as the timid woman followed her out.

"Dammit...I warned Jefferson to be careful," Emma complained.

"I know...but he can't help it. He misses his little girl," David replied, as they shared a gaze.

"He's not going to take this well," she mentioned.

"Yeah...I'll tell him and try to calm him down then," he replied, as his phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered and listened to the person on the other end. Emma started to worry when she saw her father clench his jaw and go rigid. His face was soon a mask of anger.

"Is she okay?" he asked in an even tone.

"I'm coming right now," he said next, but then stopped, as the other person kept talking and he sighed.

"All right...fine, I'll wait until the end of the day if she's sure," he relented, as he hung up the phone.

"What now?" Emma asked.

"One of your mother's students was prodded to give her a box at recess. When she opened it, there was a dead bluebird inside and that...monster was standing right there across the street!" he raged.

"Oh God...Mom…" she lamented.

"Tell me that's enough for a restraining order against him!" David exclaimed.

"He'll deny that he had anything to do with it, but I don't care. We're delivering one to him anyway. I'll fight Regina and anyone else that disputes it," she growled.

~*~

Regina's heels clicked along on the pavement, as she approached the Rabbit Hole. She was feeling quite pleased with herself, as she would soon have Jefferson exactly where she wanted him. Now, it was time to tempt a certain barfly to leave Gold in the dust and she knew exactly how to do it.

The Rabbit Hole was definitely not her usual scene, but if this worked, then being seen here would be worth it. Upon entering, she spotted Lacey immediately, as she finished off another drink. She smirked and approached her, pleased that most of the other riffraff that surrounded her at the pool table made themselves scarce in her presence.

"Good afternoon Lacey," Regina greeted. The brunette looked up skeptically and raised an eyebrow.

"Madam Mayor," she greeted, as she made her shot.

"I was hoping we could have a word," Regina requested, as Lacey moved to the side of the table to make another shot.

"No one is stopping you from talking," she replied.

"Right...you seem like you're a bit bored with this town," Regina mentioned. Lacey scoffed.

"Who isn't?" she sniped.

"It just makes me wonder why you've stuck around this place. You know, I remember before your father had you committed, you were going to blow this place and see the world, one bar at a time. Whatever happened to that?" Regina asked curiously. She snorted.

"I'm not dripping in money, like you, Madam Mayor," Lacey replied.

"Of course...you see, that's why I actually came today. I have this for you. It's from your father. He knows you don't want to see him, but he wants you to be happy and make your dreams come true; what every daddy wants for their little girl, really," Regina said, as she handed her a check. It was made out to look like Moe had written it, but it was Regina's money. With the curse weakening, she knew Lacey might actually make it over the town line at this point. If she did, she would never remember her life as Belle. And Regina would enjoy twisting that particular knife in Rumpelstiltskin. The barfly's mouth dropped open.

"Whoa...this is a fortune!" she cried.

"I guess your father has been saving his pennies," she commented.

"Though...I suppose Mr. Gold will be quite sad to see you go," she added.

"Who cares? It's not like I was serious about him!" Lacey exclaimed. Regina smirked deviously.

"Exactly! Now go on...go home and pack. It's time for you see the world and find Lacey's happy ending," the former Queen said.

"No offense, Madam Mayor, but I'm dropping this town like a bad habit," Lacey agreed, as she hurried out. Regina smirked victoriously. Everything was happening exactly as she wanted it to.

~*~

Flashback

Seven Months Before the Dark Curse

Hades, Ares, and Phobos arrived at their destination after a fairly lengthy journey. Even as Gods, the trip to this particular place had to be made by horseback.

"I do not enjoy the mortal way of traveling," Ares complained, as they dismounted the horses and approached the sacred and mysterious place known as the vault of the Dark One.

"How does this work? Ares asked.

"Pour the ashes on the vault seal," Hades instructed, as he magicked a three tiered candle to shed light on the dark and desolate place. Ares did as instructed and spread Deimos' ashes on the seal.

"There can't be more than one Dark One at a time. How do you know this will work?" he questioned his brother.

"We are not creating another Dark One. The ritual works for anyone wishing to bring someone back from the dead, as long as the price is paid," Hades responded.

"A life for a life," Phobos stated and his Uncle gave him a curt nod, as he came to stand behind his nephew.

"We still don't have a sacrifice. Don't we need a mortal for the ritual?" he asked.

"If we were only reviving him to be mortal...but Deimos is a God. In order to restore him and his immortality, we must sacrifice...another immortal," Hades informed. Before either Ares or Phobos could realize his implication, the God of the Dead shoved his nephew onto the metal plate in the ground.

"Hades...what are you doing?!" Ares cried, as he held Phobos there and the other God cried out in agony, as his body was marked by the seal. Ares watched in horror as his son was tossed away, his flesh burning and intensifying as an inky blackness consumed Deimos' ashes and began to rise in a mass of convulsing black matter.

"Father...help me!" Phobos cried desperately, as more and more of his body burned away as the mass began to take on the form of a man. With a final screech of pain, betrayal, and desperation from Phobos, he was incinerated to ash and taking his place was now a revived Deimos.

The deplorable God of Terror looked at his hands in amazement and then an evil smirk marred his newly restored face.

"You...you killed my son!" Ares cried.

"You knew there was a price to revive your other son...the useful son and not that sorry excuse we just rid ourselves of," Hades spat.

"So you killed one of my sons to revive the other? So he can do your bidding?" Ares cried.

"Yet you did nothing while Phobos writhed in pain. You've become so weak, Ares. No wonder there is no war anymore in this land. Phobos was even more pathetic than you are," Hades quipped.

"He's right father...it's time these mortals knew true terror and pain again. It's time they are put back in their place and after I dispatch Snow White's meddlesome friends and her husband, they will learn that place with her by my side as my Queen, in chains if that's what it takes," Deimos hissed.

"You'll do no such thing...at least, not yet," Hades admonished.

"What?" Deimos growled and the God of the Dead held up a hand.

"They must think you are still dead for the time being, for there is a curse coming and it will provide a much better opportunity for revenge against Persephone's daughter," he explained.

"A curse?" Deimos questioned.

"Yes...the Queen will be casting a terrible curse that will take the Kingdom to a Land Without Magic. She is doing so to punish Snow White and destroy her happiness," Hades said.

"But...in a Land Without Magic, I will have no power!" Deimos protested.

"Not in the traditional sense, but someone like you will be very well off and important in this land. And no one, save for the Queen, will have any memory of who they really are," Hades continued.

"But if I don't know who I am…" Deimos started to protest again.

"Relax...you may be unaware of your immortal roots, but you'll still be yourself deep down. And Snow White will be reduced to a timid, meek woman that will be easy prey, especially without her husband around to make trouble for you or her friends defending her," Hades responded.

"I still don't see why all that is necessary! I can have her now! There is no blood moon to stop me until next autumn!" he argued.

"It is necessary...because I said it is!" Hades shouted, as his hair exploded in blue flames, making Deimos cower back before the powerful God of the Underworld.

"You will do as I say and someday, there will be magic there. The rules are very different in this Land Without Magic. You will be my way in, so to speak. You'll do as I command and then I'll let you do whatever you wish with Snow White," he promised.

"Of course, My Lord," Deimos answered obediently.

"Excellent...remember, no one can know you're alive and you must be in the Kingdom when the curse is cast," Hades instructed.

"I will do as you command, My Lord and then chaos will reign," Deimos replied. Hades smirked at that word. Oh, chaos would reign. When the curse was finally broken, he would finally be able to offer Zelena what her heart desired most; revenge against her sister. And then...then she would see they belonged together.

"Yes...chaos will befall all who oppose me, including Zeus," he said, as he looked to Ares.

"I would choose sides wisely, brother," he warned, leaving Ares torn.

~*~

Everything on Jefferson's table went scattering to the floor, as he angrily upset it. His temper and unstable nature had finally reached a boiling point. David tried to keep him from a further tirade, but the Hatter shrugged him off.

"It's not fair...she's my daughter! Not that woman's!" Jefferson ranted.

"I know...I know...none of this is fair," David responded.

"It's easy for you to say! At least your daughter knows you! She doesn't look at you like you're some stranger!" Jefferson shouted. The Prince sighed, knowing he was right.

"We're going to fight her...Regina is pulling out all the stops now. You have to know that means she's scared," Emma reminded.

"No...what I know is that she always wins! And we keep losing!" Jefferson yelled.

"Not for long...it will happen. The curse will break," David insisted.

"You keep saying that! But are we really any closer than we were four months ago?" Jefferson muttered.

"Of course we are. There is a battle coming...I can feel it. This is all just building to a confrontation with Regina and she knows she probably can't undo the damage we've done to her curse now. It's only a matter of time," David replied.

"I'm tired of waiting! I want my daughter!" he snapped.

"And you'll get her back! I want my mother too and I'm not stopping until we get her back!" Emma snapped back. Jefferson shrunk back slightly, as he glared at the piece of paper in her hand.

"We have to issue this to satisfy Regina for now," Emma said.

"She's not done...she won't stop here," he warned.

"We know...and we'll be ready to fight her every step of the way. She won't get away with this for long," David assured. Jefferson wanted to believe that, but the more he thought about it, the more tempted he was to beg Emma to get his hat to work.

"What if I have a way we could escape her?" he blurted out.

"What do you mean?" David asked.

"My hat...it can open portals. We could take Henry, Grace, and Mary...all of us and just escape!" he pleaded. David and Emma exchanged a glance.

"Without their memories, Grace and Mary wouldn't understand what we're trying to do," David reminded.

"Oh please...Mary would follow you anywhere! And back in our land, one true love's kiss and she'd remember everything! And Grace...maybe the same could work with her," he said.

"But there's no magic here...how do you plan to get the hat to work?" Emma asked.

"You're the Savior...you have the magic it takes. Please Emma…" he begged.

"You know that running isn't the answer. Believe, it's really tempting, but we'd never truly be free. Regina and Damon are bad enough, but back there we'd have Cora and possibly Hades to deal with. It's too dangerous and I know my wife. She'd never leave our people at Regina's mercy," David implored.

"Oh please! These people don't give a damn about you! They lied to you about the wardrobe! Why the hell would you still protect them?!" Jefferson shouted, as David tried to calm him down.

"Because it's the right thing to do...and you know it," the prince said.

"He's right...but we need to go. We have another restraining order to deliver," Emma said, as they started toward the door.

"If you think Damon's going to stop stalking Mary, because of some dumb piece of paper, you're idiots," Jefferson grumbled.

"We know he won't...but we're still going to give the warning anyway. Are you going to be okay?" David asked.

"I'll be fine," he muttered. At least he still had his telescope. They hadn't taken that away...yet. He watched them leave and then shut his door. And once he was alone, his tirade began, as he threw and tossed any object within reach…

~*~

Mary watched her students file out for the day and forced an encouraging smile for Henry. The boy had been worried about her all day since the commotion at recess. She was tired of this man making her feel this way. It wasn't right, especially since his threats weren't just at her, but at David too. She sighed and packed up her things for the day. Walking out of the school and toward her car, she checked her messages and found one from her husband.

"Hey...I heard what happened. Stephanie called me and I was going to come right away, but she insisted that you were okay. I know you are...because you're strong, but I still wanted to be there for you," his message said and she smiled at his concern.

"I'm not going to let him keep doing this to you. It might not do much good, but Em and I are going to deliver a restraining order to him in person today. I don't know how yet, but I am going to stop him and find a way to lock him up permanently," his message continued. That worried her a little. She didn't like the thought of people she loved confronting this monster, especially on his own territory.

"But I don't want you to worry. I won't be long and then I'll see you at home. I love you so much," he said, as his message ended and she hung up her phone, as she reached her car. Her heart dropped into her stomach though when she reached the station wagon and saw a bouquet of black roses laying on her hood. Tears threatened to fall and her heart pounded in her head. She picked up the roses, intending to toss them to the ground, but cried out, as inevitably, her finger was sliced by a thorn. She dropped the disturbing flora to the ground, as blood dripped onto the hood of her car and onto a note left for her. And the words on the piece of paper made her blood run cold.

Here lies David Nolan

She read the words and almost felt like she was hyperventilating. The note was clear though. Her husband was going to confront Damon Tromera today and this monster had made his intentions clear. He was going to kill David. She let the paper fall to the ground and jumped into her car, before peeling out of the parking lot. Stephanie waved to her, trying to get her to stop, but could only watch, as Mary sped off at dangerous speeds. She ran to where the black roses had been discarded and picked up the note. Her blood too ran cold at the words on the paper.

"Oh Gods...Athena protect them…" she uttered, as she hurried on foot, intending to follow her daughter. She only hoped she didn't arrive too late…


	37. An Apple as Red as Blood

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 37: An Apple as Red as Blood

Henry trekked out to the bus and dug in his bag. He decided he would re-read some of the stories and search for more clues about breaking the curse. He didn't know if it would do any good though. But he took what Miss Blanchard told him earlier to heart. And if his grandmother could somehow maintain a sense of hope, even with a very bad man continuing to wrong her, then he felt he needed to do the same. As he dug through his bag though, panic settled in his stomach when he couldn't find the book.

"It's gone…" he uttered. But that didn't make any sense. The only time his bag was left unattended was...recess. It had been in the classroom earlier and Miss Blanchard had been on recess duty. With that realization, Henry dashed away, forgetting the bus and set out on the streets. He had to find Emma. Only she could help him find him book.

Jefferson was barely through his tirade when the doorbell rang again. And the person on his doorstep only made his rage go through the roof.

"What.do.you.want …" he bit out through clenched teeth. Regina smirked in satisfaction.

"What's the matter, Jefferson? Aren't you having a good day?" she goaded, as she invited herself in.

"You're not welcome here! Leave!" he shouted, as she looked around in disgust.

"Ugh...this place is a disaster. This would be no environment for a child," she stated.

"Well...thanks to you, I don't really have that problem," he retorted. She smirked and turned.

"But I could make it your problem...if you help me with my little problem," Regina replied.

"No way...I'll never make a deal with you. Do I have idiot stamped on my forehead?" he growled. She snorted.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" she retorted, as she took a seat in his chair and crossed her legs.

"Come...let's have a chat about what you're going to do for me in order to get your daughter back," she stated.

"I told you...I'm not helping you!" he shouted.

"Oh, but only I can give you what you want. Do you really think that idiot prince and his daughter can get your daughter back?" she asked.

Jefferson put his head in his hands, trying to control his rage and the desperation he felt.

"All you have to do is one little thing for me...and Grace is yours. I can make this little restraining order disappear like it never existed. Can your idiot friend Charming do that?" she tempted, as he looked up at her, eyes red and face contorted with conflict.

"He's my friend…" Jefferson croaked. She snorted derisively.

"Please...you don't have friends and even if you did, you'd never put a friend above your daughter, would you? Do you really think Charming would put you above his precious Snow or Emma?" she questioned, enjoying watching the Hatter unravel before her eyes.

"You...you know he's awake, don't you?" Jefferson asked in surprise. Regina's grin widened.

"I suspected...but wasn't sure. Thank you for clarifying that fact. Not that it matters. The idiot plans to confront Tromera today and I doubt he'll be surviving that little encounter," she said. Jefferson's mouth dropped open and he eyed his phone.

"Picking up that phone will ensure Grace is lost to you forever," she warned. He glared murderously at her.

"What do you want me to do?" he growled. She smirked.

"Come with me to my vault. There is something I need…" she hissed.

"My hat doesn't work," he warned. But she only smirked and opened her trunk, as they walked out to her car. Inside, Jefferson saw a hat box and she opened it.

"No...but I think this one will," she responded.

~*~

August grimaced deeply, as the twinge in his leg had grown into a stabbing pain that afternoon. He was running out of time, but pressed on, as he continued to resew the binding of the book. He had managed to slip into the school, which really needed better security, and swiped Henry's book during recess. He had successfully added his story and Persephone's to the book, as instructed by Gold. But the pain in his leg had become excruciating and he could barely walk now. He lifted his pant leg and saw that both his legs were wood now. He stood up from his desk and cried out in pain, as his waist was now wood as well. He fumbled with his phone and dialed, as he collapsed onto the bed.

"Emma...it's August," he said in a pained voice.

"What do you want?" she asked shortly.

"Look...I know you're mad at me, but I need your help. I can't walk anymore...my lower half is completely wood now. Please...help me and I promise I'll return the favor," he pleaded.

"I can't just drop everything. I have a restraining order to deliver to Damon and I'm not letting my father go alone," Emma snapped.

"Please Emma...I think I know something that can help break the curse. I should have thought of it before…" August said, his breathing heavy, as he stared at the illustration of the true love potion. At least swiping Henry's book had led to this discovery. He was sure it could mean everything and reinforced the fact that he knew the Dark One was only out for himself, for if he hadn't told Emma about it, then that meant he wanted it for his own purposes.

"Please Emma…" he begged and heard her sigh.

"Fine...I'll be there in a few," she agreed, as she hung up the phone. August took another pained breath, as he felt the pain creep up to his belly. He hoped she hurried. He was almost out of time.

Emma hung up her phone and pocketed it.

"Emma...I'll be fine. If there's even a chance that he's discovered something that could help us, then we need to know what it is," David said, as he turned the car around to drop her off at the Inn.

"But he lies...and I don't like that you'll be confronting Damon by yourself," Emma replied. He stopped the car and put a hand on her arm.

"I know, but he doesn't have his memories or super strength here. I can handle him, I promise," David assured.

"He's dangerous," she objected.

"I know...and I'm armed," he reminded and she sighed.

"Fine...but if you haven't called me in fifteen minutes, I'm coming to find you," she told him. He smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said, as she got out and watched him do a u-turn, before heading back in the direction of Damon's sleazy club.

"This better be good, puppet," she grumbled, as she went inside the inn.

~*~

Jefferson followed her down into the vault, the sound of beating hearts still creepy as ever.

"This place is one of the only magical places in town. You should be able to get the hat to spin," Regina stated, as she handed it to him. Jefferson looked at her and then placed it on the ground. He spun it...but nothing happened. He tried a second time and still, there was nothing.

"This isn't going to work...I don't have magic here," he spat bitterly. Regina knelt down and tried to spin it herself, frustrated that it wouldn't work for her either.

"There is one person that this will work for...but I doubt she'll help you with this since you plan to kill her," he said.

"I don't plan to kill her...that would break the curse. I have something a little different in mind for Emma Swan," she said, with a smirk. He glared at her.

"Like mother like daughter, they say," she added deviously. She tried spinning it, but it still did nothing.

"I told you...there isn't enough magic in this stupid town! You need something from...home," he said.

"I don't have anything anymore. I've used up almost everything I brought with me," Regina replied.

"Too bad for you then. I held up my end of the bargain...now give me my little girl," he pleaded.

"You don't get your daughter unless I get what I want," Regina snapped. Jefferson eyed the ring she had and looked back at her.

"You do have something…" he reminded.

"This...this was Daniel's…" she uttered sadly.

"Too bad...you know it's the only way, unless you want this entire town coming after you with torches and pitchforks. Personally, I'd enjoy seeing that very much," he said, earning a glower from her, as she removed the ring and tossed it in. The hat started to spin with magic, but not enough for a portal.

"It's not enough for a portal...but you can reach in and get whatever it is that you're after," he said, absolutely hating every moment of helping this woman.

"That's fine...I only need a certain apple," Regina said, as she guided the hat to the correct location and witnessed the scene. It brought her back to that victorious day; to the moment when she had gleefully watched Snow willingly bite into her apple for the sake of saving the man she loved. She remembered it like it was yesterday, the feeling of vengeance she had as she watched her choke for air and fall into an eternal sleep. She had won the day, only to have it snatched away a day later by Charming and his true love's kiss. But this time...she'd have revenge on them both when their spawn took a bite of that very same apple.

She saw the fruit roll down the hill, as it rolled out of Snow's limp hand and straight into Jefferson's, as he reached through for it.

She snatched it from him and grinned in victory, savoring that feeling once again.

"You have what you want...now give me my daughter," he demanded, as they walked back up the stairs from the vault. But she smirked deviously.

"That's not how this works…" she stated, as two men, dressed in white uniforms emerged from the trees.

"Gentlemen...this is the man I called about. He is severely disturbed, going on about portals and jumping through hats. I want him committed...immediately," she said. He looked at her in horror and betrayal, as they grabbed his arms.

"No...you can't do this! I'm not crazy and you know it!" he cried.

"Oh...you are quite Mad and need to be locked away for yours and this town's own protection," she replied, as the men forced the straightjacket on him and restrained him, as he was dragged away screaming to their van.

"You'll pay for this, Regina...I promise you'll pay!" he screamed, as he was thrown into the van and it drove off for the hospital. Regina smirked in victory and thought about what to do with the apple.

She could go straight home and bake it into a turnover to feed to the Savior...but judging by all that was happening, she wasn't sure she had much time for that. She knew Emma knew everything and decided that, perhaps a direct confrontation was best. It was that moment that her phone rang and she answered.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"I left the note on her car as you suggested and you were right...his car just pulled up to my club," Damon answered. She smirked. This was going to work better than she originally thought.

"Good...keep him there. I know she'll be along for her wayward husband soon enough after you left that note," Regina replied.

"Do you want me to kill him?" Damon asked, a note of hope in his voice.

"Not yet...just detain them both for now. When I get what I want, I'll call you and then you may do whatever you please with both of them," Regina answered.

"As always...it's a pleasure doing business with you, Madam Mayor,"

Regina smiled gleefully, as she hung up her phone. Yes...there would be no need for putting the apple in some fancy packaging. Once she confronted Swan and informed her of the dire fate facing her beloved parents, she'd willingly take a bite of the apple, just as her mother had so long ago. Only this time, there would be no one to awaken her, thanks to Damon. She knew he'd kill David once she allowed it and Mary would never again leave his sight. Once again, she could taste victory and this time, no one was going to spoil it.

~*~

Emma knocked on August's door.

"Hey...it's me," she called.

"Come in," he called and she turned the lock, finding it unlocked. She peered in and saw him lying on the bed. Her mouth dropped open, as she saw that three-quarters of his body was now wooden.

"Holy hell…" she uttered.

"Yeah...kinda sucks, but you probably think I deserve it," he muttered. Her contempt for him deflated a little.

"No one deserves this...but if I'm gonna help you, then you better be quick," she replied, watching his eyes move to the book.

"That page…" he said. Emma looked at the book.

"The true love potion...the one Rumpelstiltskin made from my parent's true love…" she stated. He managed a small smile.

"It still amazes me how well you know the book...and all of this. I've screwed up royally and wronged you. For that Emma, I'm truly sorry," he choked out.

"You were a kid...you're not the one that's truly to blame for the wardrobe," she admonished. He groaned, as the wood crept up to his neck.

"It's not that...dammit, we don't have time. You need to find the potion. It might be of use...it's magic, like you. Your parents made that magic...it's woven into the curse," he croaked.

"That's why I'm the Savior," she muttered.

"Yes…" he agreed.

"What makes you think the potion is here?" she asked.

"You don't really think...Rumpelstiltskin would have gone through the trouble of making it if he didn't plan to bring it with him, do you?" August asked.

"I guess not...but if it's here, why hasn't he used it yet?" she countered.

"Because he has his own motives. You and your father have to stop trusting him," August implored.

"Hold on...I know what he's done and that he's the reason for all this. But he's been way more forthcoming than you ever were! He's looking for his kid...I get that," she snapped.

"I know, I know, but ultimately, he'll do what's in his best interest, not the interest of everyone. You need that potion...you can't let him have it," August pleaded. Emma sighed.

"I'll go talk to him...I'll break the curse," she promised.

"I hope so...we're all counting on you now," he said, as his face turned to wood and he was silent. She spared him one last glance and then stormed out of the Inn.

~*~

David parked the cruiser and got out, before walking up to the ritzy, yet sleazy establishment. Upon entering, the amount of red in the furniture, walls, and upholstery burned his eyes. The scantily clad young woman on stage looked barely legal and he couldn't help but notice how she had raven hair and fair skin. He stepped further into the place and toward the bar, noticing that, as he did, the few patrons that were there quickly left. He watched Damon motion to the girl on stage and she stopped dancing, as she quickly exited backstage.

"Deputy Nolan...can I get you a drink?" Damon offered.

"No...I'm on duty and I won't be here long," David replied.

"Pity...you know, despite our differences, I think we would surprise ourselves and find that we actually have things in common. I mean, we both obviously have the same taste in women," leered, making David clench his fist.

"That would be the reason for my visit," the prince said, as he slapped the folded piece of paper down on the bar. Damon smirked and looked at it.

"You've been served," David said and the other man chuckled.

"You really think this is going to stop me?" Damon asked, as he tore the page up.

"You stay the hell away from my wife," David growled.

"Your wife...you just love rubbing that in my face, don't you…" Damon growled back.

"I won't let you continue to terrorize the woman I love. This ends today with you never coming near here again. Rip up the order if you must, but it won't change the fact that I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect her from you," David stated sternly. Damon smirked.

"Again...we're in agreement about this ending today. Just not exactly the way you think. This time though, I don't think we'll bother with the coma," the other man hissed. David noticed the four men closing in around him and was quick to pull his weapon, as he backed away from all five of them.

"Stand down…" he warned, but Damon smirked and his men each pulled their own firearm.

"One gun against five...even your pretty, empty head can surmise how that's going to go," Damon threatened, as they moved to surround the Prince.

"Emma knows where I am...she'll be here in a flash if I don't check in," he warned, but Damon remained unfazed.

"Oh, I think the Sheriff is going to be occupied with other problems. Now put the gun down," Damon ordered.

"Why? So you can kill me?" David asked. Damon smirked.

"Oh, you're going to die today, just not yet. There's a specific audience I want present for that event," he hissed. David clenched his teeth.

"I'll never let you touch her," the prince growled.

"You won't have any control over what I do…" the other man countered.

"I'm not just going to go down without a fight if that's what you're counting on. Four guns trained on one man is a little unfair," David mentioned. Damon chuckled.

"The pretty idiot wants to do things the hard way, men. Go on...have a little fun," he told them, as they holstered their weapons. David looked around, as they surrounded him and made his first move by smashing his elbow into the face of the one behind him, breaking his nose upon contact. He ducked the fists of two coming at him and crashed his shoulder into one, throwing him off his feet. He rolled over the back of the one with the broken nose, seeing that he was bent over, and slammed the fourth man into the bar. There was a sickening crunch in his back, as he dropped him instantly.

Damon frowned and advanced, as the prince punched out the other two men. He then threw a punch at Damon, but the monster caught his fist and David grimaced in pain.

Despite not having his immortal strength, he was still incredibly strong for a mortal and David kneed him in the gut. Damon grunted in mild pain and then wrapped his hand around David's neck.

"It would be so easy for me to snap your neck…" he growled.

"But I want her to watch me kill you." Damon continued, as he threw the prince away, sending him crashing into a table.

"Tie him up, boys. Our guest of honor will be here soon. She'll watch her husband die and I'll watch her break. Then she'll finally belong to me," he hissed.

~*~

Emma hurried down the street, headed for the pawn shop. But when she rounded the corner, she found Regina in her path.

"Hello Miss Swan," she greeted curtly, but Emma pressed passed her.

"I don't have time for this," the blonde groused, as she checked her phone. Twenty minutes had passed and no phone call from her father. The bad feeling in her gut was growing stronger by the minute.

"Expecting a call from someone?" Regina asked. Emma turned and glared at her.

"What have you done?" Emma growled, enraged by the pleased smile on the other woman's face.

"Let's just say...your daddy won't be breathing much longer and your little bitch of a mother will spend the rest of her life as nothing more than Damon Tromera's…" Regina said.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Emma hissed. Regina smirked.

"You can save them, Miss Swan. I can still call off Damon...if I get what I want from you," Regina replied.

"Fine...and what is it that you want, Madam Mayor?" Emma asked. Regina grinned and held up the apple that had a bite out of it.

"This...one bite, Miss Swan, and your parents will live. I'll even let them them live together and push them over the town line. Your Mother will never remember her life as Snow White, but at least she'll have her Prince Charming. He's awake...or so I've heard," she replied smugly. Emma clenched her teeth and glared murderously at the woman. She was about to retort when another voice was heard.

"You lied to me…" Henry's small, broken voice came from behind them. Regina whipped around, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Henry…" she uttered.

"You are the Evil Queen. I was right about the book...and you made me feel like I was crazy…" he cried.

"Henry...I can explain…" Regina said, as she reached out to him, but he backed away. Regina glared at Emma.

"You've completely turned him against me...I hope you're happy," the Queen spat.

"You did that yourself," Emma retorted, as Regina placed the apple in her hand.

"The offer still stands. One bite...I call off Damon and push your parents over the town line. What happens to them after that won't be my concern," she offered.

"Away for you and Damon...they'll be fine…" Emma replied, as she looked at the apple.

"Emma no...you can't! She's lying! She'll let Damon hurt them!" Henry pleaded. She teared up and knelt down in front of him.

"But if it means you'll be okay, kid. I have to do this. My parents will understand. We all love you so much...I told them all about you in the dreamscape. You got to meet your Gramps...I just wish you had met your Grams too," Emma sniffed, as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Dreamscape?" Regina questioned in confusion, but was ignored.

"No...you have to save everyone! You're the Savior!" Henry cried.

"I know kid and that's why I have to eat this apple. At least you and most of the town...they'll be okay," she said.

"No...they'll be trapped forever! Damon will kill Gramps and hurt Grams, cause she lies!" Henry shouted at his mother angrily.

"Henry…" Regina pleaded, but he shrugged away from her again.

"Henry, this is what's best for you. I'm your Mother," the Queen said firmly.

"No...this is what's best for you," he retorted, glaring at her.

"I'm so sorry kid...I failed you," Emma said.

"Then don't eat the apple," Henry replied, as he snatched it out of her hand and backed away from them both.

"Henry...what are you doing?" Emma asked, starting to panic.

"You have to break the curse...and this is the only way," the boy said, as he looked at the apple, took a breath, and then bit into it.

"NO!" Regina cried, as he chewed and she watched his cherub face. Suddenly, she was seeing Snow eat the apple all over again, but this time it brought her no pleasure. Henry choked and fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Henry…" Regina choked out, as she stepped toward him.

"No...you stay away! You did this!" Emma growled, as she put her hand around the other woman's neck and slammed her against the brick wall behind them.

"Please...he's my son…" she pleaded.

"He's my son! You did this to him...all for your precious curse!" Emma growled, as she backed away and scooped him up, before hurrying toward the Pawn Shop. Regina followed quickly behind her. Just when she thought she had everything, it came crashing down and Henry was the one paying the price...


	38. A Land Without Magic, Pt 1

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 38: A Land Without Magic, Pt 1

Mary Margaret parked her station wagon at Damon's club. In all her years, the number which she couldn't seem to recount, she had never come here. She had heard stories about the things that went on here and never dared to even step foot in this end of town. A group of men that were loitering nearby around a broken down car, smoking cigarettes, let their eyes travel over her in a leering, hungry manner. She shivered, but walked toward the door with determination. No one was going to stop her from finding her husband. She had never thought Regina would allow there to be such in her town, but she supposed every town had sights like this, even Storybrooke, where the unsavory gathered. The Rabbit Hole seemed classy compared to this place.

She walked in and her eyes were immediately assaulted by the color red. It was everywhere and not a cheerful red like she might wear to compliment her dark hair and fair skin. But a blood red that set the hairs on the back of her neck on end.

"Welcome Mary...I'm so glad you have finally arrived. This will soon be your new home, after all," Damon leered, as he leaned against the bar.

"Where is my husband?" she demanded to know.

"Your husband barged in here very rudely earlier. He tried to tell me that I couldn't see you anymore...and that just didn't do for me," he replied.

"What have you done to him?" Mary demanded to know again.

"Oh nothing yet...I've been waiting for you so we can commence with his execution," Damon stated, as two men dragged David in from the back room.

"David!" Mary cried, as she started toward him, but Damon grabbed her arm and held her back. Her husband was sporting a purple bruise on his cheek and there was dried blood on his face, coming from a cut on his forehead. His shirt was torn open and she could see bruises on his chest and torso.

"The boys got a little rough, but he wasn't being very cooperative," Damon said. Mary felt overwhelming anger at this man burning in her. Anger was rarely an emotion she had truly let herself feel, but this man had just kept pushing her to feel so many negative things. The timid, meek Mary Margaret Blanchard had never hated anyone...except this man. Regina had come close at times, but never like this. He had stalked her for years, made her feel uncomfortable under his possessive gaze, and never took no for an answer.

But the threats he had made against her husband's life had finally pushed her too far and she was determined not to let him get away with it this time. She wound up and punched him in the face. He looked shocked by the power behind her punch, for it was even stronger than the time she had punched him at the Rabbit Hole just weeks ago. He angrily grabbed her arms and threw her down. She hit the floor with a painful thud.

"You Son of a Bitch!" David screamed, as he struggled with his captors.

"You know, I was going to make him watch me take you, but now I think I just want him dead," Damon hissed, as he motioned to the two men.

"Hold her boys…" he ordered, as he picked up a large curved dagger and tested the sharpness.

"Hmm...a dull blade. This might not be as quick as you'd like," Damon threatened, as he walked around behind David, who struggled with his bonds and took a sharp breath, as he felt Damon pull his head back to expose his neck to the knife.

"No...no...please, I'll do anything you want! Please don't kill him!" Mary cried.

"You had your chance for that," Damon hissed, as her eyes locked with David's.

"I love you...and I know whatever life I find myself in next that you'll find me...someday," he told her, as a tear slipped down his cheek.

"If you ever need...anything…"

"You'll find me?"

"Always,"

"I almost believe that," she heard the words in her head, a conversation in their voices that they never had...or had they?

She drew a starved breath and gazed up at him, as he smiled down over her.

"You...you found me,"

"Did you ever doubt I would?"

"Truthfully, the glass coffin gave me pause," she said, as he chuckled.

"Well, you never have to worry. I will always find you," he promised.

There were more flashes, David dressed in a leather jerkin and pants, like something out medieval times and herself with long hair and clothes she had never seen before. They were standing at an alter before a dark skinned man and then kissed to seal their vows. They seemed so happy and later, he held a pendant and it was swinging side to side in front of her.

"We're going to have a child…"

"Is there something you need to tell me?"

"Someday…" she clarified.

"Well of course we are…" he agreed, as their lips met again.

She gasped, as more memories assaulted her.

'Sorry I'm late…" the Queen drawled, as she swept into the room.

It's the Queen!" Doc cried fearfully, as Snow pulled her husband's sword from his scabbard and leveled it at her.

"She's not a Queen anymore. We won and took back the Kingdom. She is nothing," Snow growled, as Charming pulled her back.

"No...no...no...don't sink to her level. There's no need,"

"Oh, but I've brought a gift," the Queen retorted.

"We want nothing from you," Snow refuted.

"Oh, but you shall have it. My gift is this day, for soon my real work will begin. I shall destroy your happiness...if it's the last thing I do," Regina promised, as she waltzed toward the exit.

"HEY!" Charming called, as she turned back and he hurled his blade at her, only for her to disappear in a puff of purple smoke.

The memories continued to play in her head like a montage of images until she saw herself stumble into a nursery, clutching her midsection in pain and she wanted to scream, as she saw David lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

"No...no...no…" she cried, as she fell to her knees beside him and caressed his face.

"Please...come back to me," she pleaded, as she kissed him. But it didn't work and he didn't open his eyes. She held him in her arms and sobbed, as the winds whipped violently around her and tore the roof off the castle.

"Don't worry dear...soon you won't even remember him," the Queen goaded.

"Where are we going?" Snow cried.

"A terrible place where the only happy ending...will be mine,"

Her emerald eyes widened in shock, as she remembered everything and then looked at the monster that was about to kill her husband. She had no idea how he was even alive at all, but she knew for sure that she wasn't going to let him take Charming away.

The two brutes holding her arms never knew what hit them, as Snow White smashed her knee into the groin of the one on her right and elbowed the other in the gut, before kneeing him as well.

"Well...I guess you'd like to be taught a lesson first," Damon said, truly surprised by Mary's ferocity. Punching was one thing, but he had never seen this timid, docile woman show so much fire before. He liked it in a way...but it had to be a fire he had control of or it just wouldn't do. But he would underestimate her again, for Mary could have never fought him off like this. But this was Snow White. She hit him with a chair, breaking it to pieces and knocking the monster to the floor in a painful heap. She moved quickly and cut David loose with the knife dropped by Damon and they ran out the back way of the club, hand in hand.

Damon growled and pulled himself from the wreckage of the splintered wood, as blood dripped down his face from the cut on his forehead, which was only one of multiple wounds. He let out a howl of frustration and grabbed his gun, before following them.

~*~

"Mary…" David called, as she pulled him along and they ran through the woods.

"We have to keep going, David…" she urged, barely realizing that he was still calling her Mary. She stopped then and turned to him, gazing into his eyes. She thought about everything they had been through since he woke up from the coma and realized he had been awake the whole time. He had loved Mary when she thought no one could love her. He had been there for their daughter in a way she wasn't able to. He had protected her from a monster that shouldn't even still be breathing and made her feel whole in a way Mary Margaret had never thought possible.

"Not Mary…" she told him, watching the emotions on his face light up with awe and realization.

"Snow…" he uttered and she nodded, as the daylight between them was quashed.

"You're going to pay...both of you when I catch you!" they heard a voice scream in the near distance.

"We need to go," Snow urged, as they started running again. A proper reunion would have to wait for a moment.

"I wish I knew these woods better…" she lamented. Back home, finding a hiding place for them would have been as easy as breathing for her. But Mary Margaret didn't have the experience in the Maine woods like Snow had in the Enchanted Forest.

"We're headed west...it has to eventually take us back to town," he chimed in. It didn't surprise her that he knew that. Growing up on a farm, Charming had the ability to tell what direction they were going and what time of day it was just by the position of the sun. She had learned to do this too, but it had always been like second nature for him. Something that didn't require much thinking for him at all.

As they ran, they were almost thrown off balance, as a wave of rainbow magic swept through them. They stopped and looked at each other.

"Was that…" Snow uttered.

"It was...the curse was broken!" he said. Snow grinned.

"She did it...Emma did it!" she said, as he picked her up and spun her around.

They stared at each other, as he slowly lowered her feet back to the ground.

"You found me," she said.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" he asked. Tears pricked her eyes, as she grabbed him by the collar and crushed her lips against his. Their lips parted, as his phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello?" he answered..

"Dad...thank God! Where are you?" Emma exclaimed.

"We're in the woods. We got away from Damon, but he's on our heels," David called, but was cut off, as they cried out and fell into a sinkhole. When Deimos caught up, he smirked deviously. Knowing the fall would not truly hurt him with his memories returned, he jumped in after them.

~*~

"Lacey...please…" Gold pleaded, practically panicked and livid. When she came in and told him that Regina gave her a fat check supposedly from Moe and encouraged her to see the world, he saw red. But now...he just felt like crumbling at the thought of losing her. If she crossed that town line before the curse broke...he'd lose her forever.

"Look...I just came to return your key as a courtesy and then I'm gone. We had fun...but that's all it was. I can't stay in this hick town forever and now that I've got the cash, I'm gone," she said. Gold couldn't disagree with the first part of her statement. They did have fun. He enjoyed his time with Lacey far more than he thought he ever would, for she indulged his darker urges in a way Belle just didn't. But now he was starting to realize that he was wrong about Lacey being what he wanted. It was easier to be with Lacey. He could do those darker things and she liked it. Sometimes, it was harder to be with Belle, but he realized that was why he loved her. She made him a better man and even when he faltered, she was still there like a light guiding him back. He was about to beg her to stay once more when the shop door burst open and Emma came hurrying in with Henry in her arms.

"What the hell happened to the kid?" Lacey asked, as Regina followed the blonde in.

"You…" Gold growled, as he came out from behind the counter and swung his cane at her. Regina ducked away and put her hands up.

"Gold...as much as I want to kill her too, now isn't the time," Emma snapped. Gold seethed and glared at the Queen.

"Don't go far, Your Majesty. I'm not done with you," he hissed, as he approached Emma, where she had laid the boy on the counter top.

"What happened?" he asked. Emma held up the apple, which now had two bites out of it.

"She wanted me to eat it...I think Damon has my parents. But Henry beat me to it," Emma replied.

"Smart boy," he praised.

"Excuse me? Try incredibly reckless!" Emma cried.

"No...you eating that apple would have doomed us all. That's why she wanted you to eat it," he said, pointing at the Queen.

"If your father is killed by Damon and your mother never remembers, there would be no one to wake you," Gold reminded.

"August mentioned the true love potion...he said I needed to find it to break the curse," Emma stated.

"True love potion?" Regina asked.

"Oh yes, I managed to bottle some back in our land...from her parents," Rumple replied.

"Then I hid it away for a rainy day," he added.

"Well...it's storming like a bitch. Where is it?" Emma asked.

"You don't need that potion to wake your son," Rumple replied.

"No...you have to save him...you have to save my son!" Regina cried. Rumple clenched his teeth and glowered at her.

"I don't have to do anything for you, Madam Mayor. You're the reason your son is in this predicament in the first place. If I do anything, it will be for Henry," he growled, before turning back to Emma.

"You already know exactly how to save him. It's a sleeping curse," he reminded.

"Okaaay...this is all interesting and crazy, but I'm gonna go," Lacey said, as she bolted. Gold looked terrified that she left, but Emma put her hand up,

"Don't worry, she'll be back in a minute," Emma replied, as she brushed Henry's hair away from his forehead.

"How did I not realize it was that simple?" she wondered.

"Sometimes the things right in front of us are the hardest to see. I just hope you'll still get me that potion. It's the key to finding my son," Rumple implored.

"You helped me save mine...I'll help you find yours," she promised.

"I love you Henry," she whispered, as she leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead. A wave of pure, rainbow colored magic emanated from the kiss, sweeping over them and then throughout the entire town. Henry gasped for air and opened his eyes.

"I love you too…" he said, smiling up at her.

"Henry…" Regina said, as she reached out for him. But he pulled away, as Belle burst into the shop.

"Rumple!" she cried, as she ran to him and he enfolded her in a hug.

"You did it! You broke the curse!" Henry exclaimed.

"Sure did kid…" she agreed, as she suddenly remembered her parent's predicament.

"My parents...Damon, he'll have his memories!" Emma cried, as she opened her phone and speed dialed her father.

"Hello?" his voice came in a breathy tone, like he was catching his breath.

"Dad...thank God! Where are you?" she exclaimed.

"We're in the woods. We got away from Damon, but he's on our heels," David called. Then suddenly, Emma heard two screams and what sounded like collapsing ground. Then the line went dead.

"Dad!" Emma cried, as she hung up.

"They were in the woods, but then it sounded like it was collapsing around them," she said gravely.

"Sinkholes," Regina blurted out, as all eyes turned to her.

"Like the ones that were happening with the mines. It might have happened in the woods, caused by the curse breaking," she said.

"Oh so you're going to blame it on that?" Emma snapped, as she started out the door.

"Wait Miss Swan...if it was a sinkhole then you'll waste a lot of time trying to find them in the woods," Gold said.

"Then what do you suggest?" she asked.

"Beneath the library. It's the center of town and where all the tunnels lead. If they're okay and knowing your parents, they are, then they'll be headed that way," he replied. She nodded.

"That also happens to be where the potion is, but you're going to need this to get it," he said, as he put a case on the counter and opened it up.

"Is that…" she uttered. He smirked.

"Your father's sword," he revealed.

"Does he know you have that?" she asked, as she picked up the weapon and he shrugged.

"So...where exactly is the potion down there and why do I need a sword?" she asked.

"Think about it. I hid it for a rainy day," he reminded and Henry gasped, remembering another time Rumpelstiltskin had said the same thing.

"The golden egg! The golden egg that Gramps hid inside Maleficent for you!" Henry exclaimed. Gold allowed a rare smile.

"Give the lad a prize," he said. Emma looked at the Queen.

"You brought a dragon to Storybrooke?" Emma asked incredulously. Regina swallowed.

"It was her punishment to stay in her dragon form and sleep for the duration of the curse," Regina responded.

"Punishment?! Do you hear yourself?" Emma cried.

"If my parents are hurt...or worse, then you better find a good place to hide," the blonde warned, as she ran out and headed for the library with Henry following.

"Wait..no, Henry!" Regina called, as she hurried after.

~*~

David groaned, as he opened his eyes and looked down where Snow was unconscious in his arms.

"Snow…" he said, as he shook her and pecked her on the lips. She moaned and opened her eyes.

"Hey…" she said dreamily. He smiled.

"Hey…" he repeated, as he got up and helped her up.

"How did we survive that without any broken bones?" she wondered, as she looked up.

"We landed on this thicket of moss. It cushioned the fall," he said, as he took her hand.

"We need to move...he'll be coming after us," he said.

"How is he even alive?" she asked, as he led them through the darkened tunnel. She took her phone out and used the flashlight tool on it.

"I don't know...I haven't been able to get a straight answer on that," he said, as he sighed.

"There's so much I need to tell you…" he lamented, as they trekked along.

"We'll have time, my love," she assured, as she squeezed his hand. He looked over at her and felt so much relief. He loved Mary just as much as Snow, a fact which he hadn't planned on, but having Snow back was truly like having the other half of his soul back.

"You had all your memories from the time you awoke, didn't you?" she asked curiously. He nodded.

"Yes...though I think Regina planned to change that. Gold saved me from her cursing me with false memories and probably a fake marriage to Kathryn," he replied.

"He helped you? That doesn't sound like Rumpelstiltskin...at least not without a price," she said.

"I know, but suffice to say that he wanted the curse broken as much as I did. That's a whole other story," he replied.

"There's something else I need to tell you first though," he said, as they kept moving.

"I promised I would tell you the moment you were awake. I wanted to tell you the moment I found out, but…" he lamented.

"Charming...it's okay. I wouldn't have understood any of this as Mary," she reminded. He sighed.

"I know...I just...I tell you everything. That's how we've always been," he replied. She smiled, reminded of a similar time where he was this flustered about something. It had been after he proposed and told her that he wasn't the real James. He'd been so scared that she'd be angry with him or reject him, because he wasn't an actual royal. She of course hadn't been too surprised. It had already been hard to believe that this wonderful, loving man had been raised by the ruthless King George. Now she was curious as to what kind of secret had him so flustered again. But unfortunately, all of that would have to wait, as bullets ricocheted off the walls around them.

David grabbed her and they hit the ground, as Deimos fired his weapon wildly into the air.

"At long last, Snow White, we have been reunited!" he called into the darkness. Snow shuddered at the sound of his voice and felt all the horrible memories of the encounters with him, both as Snow and Mary surface in her.

"How is he alive...how is this happening? He was gone...we killed him," Snow cried, as he scooped her into his arms.

"I know, I know, I'm here, my darling...I'm not letting him touch you," he promised.

"But he's awake now...he's even more dangerous than he was! As Damon, he almost killed you!" she cried. He swallowed thickly and pressed his lips to her forehead, before hurrying them along. They had to find a way to the surface and as they exited the tunnel, they found themselves in an open cavern.

"Snow…" he said, motioning to the glass coffin, which was covered in moss and dust.

"Wait...I've been here. This is below the library!" she exclaimed, as a rumbling was heard. He pulled her close, as there was movement before them and a dragon rose up, towering over them.

"Deimos isn't the only one awake…" David uttered.

"Maleficent…" Snow recalled, as she noticed her egg nearby. Maleficent still had her unborn child and now that the curse was broken, the egg would likely soon hatch. If they could get through to her in her dragon form, then they would have an ally in her against Deimos, for he was the real monster in this cavern.

They held each other, as Deimos closed in and the dragon loomed over them, not yet recognizing them. They knew they had to do something and quickly if they were going to escape alive…


	39. A Land Without Magic, Pt 2

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 39: A Land Without Magic, Pt. 2

When Persephone arrived at the troubling scene at Damon's bar, her heart was hammering in her chest from running the entire way. The broken furniture and mess left her with more questions than answers. She noticed one of Damon's hired hands, who had been knocked out, start to stir. She clenched her teeth and for a petite woman, showed her true presence as a Goddess, as she grabbed the man by the shirt and slammed him against the bar.

"Where are they?" she demanded to know.

"I don't know…" he croaked. She dragged him by the shirt and tossed him in a chair, before she picked up a broken table leg.

"Wanna try that answer again?" she asked, as she jammed the splintered table leg into his foot. He cried out in pain.

"You crazy bi…" he cried out, but stopped himself from using a word that might anger her further. At that moment, a wave of rainbow colored light swept over them and her mouth fell open in awe. It had happened...it had finally happened. The curse was broken. She brought the weapon up and positioned it in a threatening manner.

"Now that your memories have returned, you're going to tell me where they are or you will not like what happens," she promised.

"What could you do? Aren't you just some teacher?" he spat. She smirked.

"Stephanie Kore is a teacher, you're right. But I am Persephone...Queen of the Underworld and unless you'd like a one way trip there...you'll tell me where they went," she growled, truly frightening him now.

"They ran out the back way into the woods. I passed out then, but Damon probably followed them," he told her. She dropped the table leg and hurried out into the woods behind the bar. She looked around and found no sign of anyone, as she trekked through the woods.

It wasn't long before she noticed the pink poppies that were spotting a pathway along the ground. She knew flora very well and this particular poppy only sprouted in the presence of great evil. Deimos was unknowingly leaving a trail that would lead her right to them. She picked a couple poppies and put them in her coat pocket. Even without magic, the pink poppy dust could be useful.

"Snow...David...where are you?" she lamented, as she finally came to the gaping hole in the ground.

"Dammit…" she said, hoping she wouldn't be too late to help them and jumped into the sinkhole.

~*~

Emma stormed down the street, pulling Henry along beside her. It was then that she saw Red and Granny gathered with the dwarves in the square.

"Emma?" Red asked. She nodded.

"Have you seen Snow and David?" Granny asked.

"I think they're in trouble and underground in the tunnels under the library. I need to find my parents, but can you keep an eye on the kid?" she asked.

"Of course…" Red answered.

"You know?" Grumpy asked. She nodded.

"It's a long story, but I need to go. Deimos is after them," Emma replied.

"It should be impossible for him to be alive. I ripped him to shreds myself," Red exclaimed.

"So I've heard...but he's very much alive and has his memories now," Emma admonished.

"Wait...Henry, please...you need to come home with me," Regina pleaded.

"You…" Grumpy growled.

"Reminding people of your presence probably isn't a good idea right now, Madam Mayor," Red hissed, as she glared at the woman.

"If anything happens to Snow and Charming...it'll be your head, sister," Grumpy promised.

"Henry…" Regina pleaded, ignoring them.

"I don't want to be around you," the boy refuted, shrugging away from her.

"You heard him, Your Majesty. I'd find a hole to crawl in, if I were you," Granny suggested. Regina glared at the elder woman.

"Henry...no matter what they tell you, I love you," she said, as she left, hurrying away from them to her car. She had a feeling that being out in public wasn't exactly safe for her at the moment. Emma sighed.

"Okay kid...stay here with Red and Granny. I'm going down into the tunnels," she said.

"But…" he started to say.

"No arguing, kid. This is dangerous," she interrupted him.

"Need a hand?" Grumpy asked, as he clutched his pick axe.

"Couldn't hurt and I'll need someone to lower us down in the elevator and then back up," Emma said, looking at the others.

"We've got it," Doc promised, as they filed into the library.

"How the hell is that sicko even alive in the first place?" Grumpy asked.

"We're not sure, but there is someone that knows. And now that my Mom is awake, I have a feeling there's a lot she's going to be able to tell us," Emma replied, as the elevator lowered her and Grumpy down. He looked over at her.

"Sounds like you got a lot to tell us too," he said. She nodded.

"Yeah...but I promise those are good parts," she replied, as the elevator touched down, just as they heard a roar.

"Great...that sleeping dragon, ain't sleeping anymore," Grumpy said, as they ran to find Snow and Charming.

~*~

"Maleficent…" Snow uttered, as she gazed up at the dragon. She was once an ally of Regina and then had become a reluctant ally to them when they were trying to do everything in their power to save their children from the curse. It was a long, sordid history. But in the end, they helped Maleficent delay the hatching of her egg with a bit of magic and the curse had paused all their lives. They had done something good that day, despite their overwhelming fear of losing their own child. There had been other paths they could have gone down and Snow had a feeling those paths would have led to darker things for them. She had wondered more than once who had smiled upon them and gifted them something like the dreamscape. She knew it was magic...she knew it had made all the difference. They still lost Emma, but not completely. She had so many questions, but her answers would have to wait, for Maleficent was just waking up and did not recognize them yet.

She felt David tackle her to the ground, as they rolled away, just as Maleficent breathed fire down upon them.

"We have to try and get through to her, David," Snow pleaded. He nodded and pulled her behind a boulder.

"We will...but first we need to stay alive long enough," he replied, as suddenly, they heard bullets echo.

"Dammit…" David cursed, as Deimos fired the gun at the dragon, which didn't have any effect, other than angering her. She breathed fire again and the God dodged out of the way, aware that he was still mortal at the moment. Charming drew his firearm and loaded the clip.

"Charming…" Snow said fearfully.

"He's still mortal right now. We don't know how much longer that will be true. It might be our only shot to get rid of him," he told her.

"I just found you though. I'd rather not lose you again," she lamented. He smiled at her and kissed her passionately.

"No way you're losing me...I promise," he said, as he peered out and saw Deimos circling with Maleficent, large dagger in hand. Maleficent roared in pain, as he managed to stab her in the neck. David chose that moment to leap out and he fired on the monster. He landed a bullet in his shoulder and his thigh, but even without his immortality intact, he strode forth, the pain of doing so clear on his face.

"How many times does it have to pounded into that pretty head? You can't kill me, shepherd scum," he hissed. But the distraction was what the dragon needed and she sent him flying into a patch of sharp, jagged rocks with her tail. Somehow, he was still moving, despite severe lacerations and by the evidence of his labored breathing, probably broken ribs. David holstered his weapon and took Snow's hand, as they stared up at the dragon, who was gazing down at them with scrutiny.

"I think she's coming around," Snow said.

"Mom! Dad!" a voice called, as they saw their daughter emerge from the darkness.

"Emma!" they called. But Maleficent didn't register her as a friendly and roared angrily, rearing her head toward their child.

"No!" they cried, as Emma and Grumpy managed to dodge out of the way. The dragon was out of control again and David tackled Snow to the ground, as her tail swished over them.

"Maleficent!" Stephanie called, as she came running into the cavern.

"Stephanie...what are you doing?" Snow cried fearfully.

"She'll be fine, my darling. That's part of what I need to tell you," David said, as he helped her up. They watched the dark haired beauty hold a pink colored flower out. It glowed and the pollen swept over the dragon. Recognition finally shone in the creature's eyes and her size slowly reduced in a puff of magenta smoke, until Maleficent stood before them. The blonde woman looked at the dark haired one.

"Thank you...Persephone," she said. The dark haired woman nodded curtly.

"Persephone…" Snow uttered.

"Yes, that's her real identity," David confirmed, as he helped Emma and Grumpy up off the ground.

Any questions about Persephone that Snow had for the moment were briefly put aside, as she stared at her grown daughter. Tears brimmed her eyes, as she watched her husband hug her tightly and cradle her head, fussing over her, while she rolled her eyes.

"Dad...I'm fine," she promised, as she looked over at her mother. David beamed, as he eagerly prodded them together.

"Mom…" Emma squeaked, as tears slipped down Snow's fair cheeks.

"You found us," Snow said, as she hugged her daughter tightly. Snow looked over at her husband and then pulled him into the group hug, as he put his arms around the two most important people in his life.

Snow sniffed and held Emma's face in her hands, as the tears fell down her cheeks.

"I wasn't sure this day would ever come," she cried, as David put a soothing hand on her back.

"I know Mom...but you and Dad taught me to never give up," Emma said, as she hugged her mother again. David smiled on and shared a hearty handshake with Grumpy.

"How long have you been awake?" the dwarf asked. David chuckled.

"A while...it's a long story, but we'll get to that," he promised. That's when Emma remembered the golden egg.

"Maleficent...a long time ago, my dad sort of, might have…" Emma said, trying to find the words.

"You mean this?" she asked, holding up a golden egg.

"I am sorry about that...it's the only way Rumpelstiltskin was going to help me find Snow," David apologized. Maleficent gave him an even smile.

"No hard feelings," she said, as she stroked her unhatched egg.

"What is in the golden egg?" Snow asked.

"According to Gold...it's a true love potion that he made from both of you. He says it will help him find his son," Emma explained.

"That's why he wanted hair," David muttered.

"It will also bring magic to Storybrooke," Persephone interjected. Snow looked at her.

"But...this is the Land Without Magic. How could it do that?" she questioned. Persephone smiled at her.

"Yours and David's love is very powerful, Snow. It's why Rumpelstiltskin was so eager to bottle it. It will bring magic to a place with none," she explained. They heard a pained chuckle from the injured Deimos.

"Then once my immortality is restored...there will be no stopping me from getting what I want," he hissed, as his gaze rested on Snow.

"Wrong again demon...for with my magic restored, I will make sure you are locked in a place where you can never escape and touch her ever again," Persephone growled. He only laughed at her.

"She still doesn't know...does she?" he growled back.

"David...I need you and Grumpy to take this monster to the station and lock him up. Once my magic is restored, I will have what I need to seal him away," she said. David nodded and kissed Snow tenderly.

"I'll meet at Gold's shop," he told her. She reluctantly let go of his hand, almost afraid he was going to disappear and watched him cuff the monster that had tormented her.

David and Grumpy took the elevator first with Deimos. Then Doc and the other dwarves operated the elevator to bring Emma, Snow, Persephone, Maleficent, and her egg to the surface.

"Once we reach the surface, you should head toward the hospital with your egg. I sense it will not be long once magic returns," Persephone said to the mothr-to-be. She nodded curtly.

"I will...thank you again," she replied.

Emma squeezed her mother's hand, as she watched her stare at the back of Persephone's head. She could tell by the look on Snow's face that her mind was racing a mile a minute with information. Her father had told her about the leather bound book she had read as Mary Margaret, thinking it was no more than a fable or fairytale. But now she could see the gears turning in her head, as she made connections.

The elevator opened and she found herself surrounded by the other dwarves, who were intent on hugging her. She smiled at her brothers and hugged all of them back.

"Snow!" Red called, as they hurried toward each other and hugged tightly. Granny was next and hugged her as well.

"Miss Blanchard…" Henry said tentatively. David seemed okay with being called Gramps, but he wasn't sure how Snow would react yet. Snow beamed and hugged the boy.

"Oh Henry…" she said, looking at him with as much awe as she had Emma.

"Does this mean I can call you Grams?" he asked. She laughed, as did all present.

"You better," she agreed, as she stood up and finally faced Persephone.

"That story...it's all true?" Snow asked. Persephone nodded, as tears filled her eyes.

"Yes...all of it and I know that you must have so many questions," she replied.

"The dreamscape...that was your doing?" Snow questioned. She nodded.

"It was Morpheus actually...but he granted it for me," she responded.

"I know you must be feeling a lot of things...but I can explain…" Persephone started to say, but was surprised when Snow hugged her. She quickly got over her shock and put her arms around her daughter, the baby she had let go so long ago for her own safety. Tears slipped down the Goddess' face, as she finally had her child back. Emma smiled, as they pulled apart and she hugged Emma again.

"Hey, are you going to catch us up?" Red asked. Snow sniffed and brushed away another tear.

"I promise...but first I think we should get to Gold's shop," Snow replied.

"Whoa...wait, we're trusting the imp now?" Granny questioned. Snow looked at them and then at Emma.

"If he's been helping Emma and David and earned their trust...then he has mine too," she told the elder woman, who still looked skeptical.

"The Dark One may have his own agenda...make no mistake. But his goal is much like my own...to find my child," Persephone stated.

"Your child?" Red asked, looking between them. Snow nodded to her.

"It's true...Persephone is my biological mother," Snow uttered, still scarcely believing it herself.

"Whoa...you're a Goddess?" Doc asked curiously, as they made the short walk to the Pawn Shop.

"I am," she confirmed.

"So...you have magic too?" Happy asked.

"Yes...or at least I soon will," she replied.

"Hold on, how is bringing magic to Storybrooke going to help anyone?" Red exclaimed.

"Have you all forgotten Deimos?" she added.

"Of course not...and once I have my magic, I will have what I need to bind him in his cell," she promised. The Dwarves, Red, and Granny waited outside the shop, while Emma, Snow, Persephone, and Henry went into the shop.

"Mary!" Belle called, as she rushed up to her and they hugged.

"Oh...I guess it's really Snow?" the brunette asked. The raven haired beauty nodded and hugged her again.

"I'm so sorry about how I treated you!" Belle exclaimed.

"That's not your fault...Regina is the one that did that to you," Snow admonished. Belle smiled in relief, as it seemed none of her friends or Rumple were holding anything she did as Lacey against her. David joined them in the shop at the moment and Snow ran to him, as he scooped her up, kissing her soundly while her feet dangled off the ground. Emma rolled her eyes playfully, as she put the golden egg on the counter.

"A deal is a deal…" she said, as she looked at Persephone.

"You're sure you can keep Deimos locked up?" she questioned again. Snow and David looked to her too, also wondering the same thing.

"I have in my possession the chains of Prometheus. Once there is magic, I will be able to conjure them. As you might guess, these are the same chains that held Prometheus captive. They are made of adamantine and crafted by Hephaestus himself," she explained.

"I acquired them from Hermes, who still resents me for rebuking him even before Hades abducted me and forced me to marry him. But he was willing to give them to me in exchange for my golden bough," she told them.

"Golden Bough?" Emma asked curiously.

"It is a sacred and powerful golden branch that grew outside Sibyl's cave. She was a powerful oracle. It was a gift to me from Aeneas and allowed the bearer to go any place in the Underworld, even into the River of Lost Souls with protection," she explained.

"Why would you want to swim into the River of Lost Souls?" Belle asked.

"I was going to retrieve my beloved...but when I realized that Hades had gone to incredible lengths to revive Deimos, I knew I had to do something," Persephone replied.

"My Mother, Demeter, suggested that we find the chains of Prometheus. She was confident they could confine Deimos indefinitely. The problem was that they disappeared after he was freed by Hercules during one of his twelve labors. Hermes knew they could be used as a barter so he stole them instead of returning them to Hephaestus," Persephone said.

"So you gave him the golden bough in exchange for these chains, knowing that someday you could use them to bind Deimos?" Belle asked curiously. She nodded.

"You...you gave up a chance to save someone you love from a terrible fate...for me?" Snow squeaked, suddenly overwhelmed with even more emotions. Persephone smiled.

"I would do anything for you, Snow and this family. I loved the man that fathered you very much...but the true love of my life isn't romantic. You're that true love, just like I know for you, it's both Emma and David," she said, as she hugged her.

"I saw the spark of true love ignite between you and David. What the two of you have...it can't be compared. There is no parallel. Not every true love couple has a spark like that, nor do they create magic between them," she explained.

"As interesting as this is...it's time," Gold stated, as he unlocked the golden egg and took out the vial of pinkish liquid.

"Rumple…" Belle started to chide.

"I know how you feel about magic, Belle. But it's power...and in this case the power to help find my son. He's in this land somewhere...but it's vast and magic will be the only way to aid me in finding him," he explained.

"Not to mention that I doubt he's going by Baelfire these days. He probably has a new identity...he would need to in order to get by in this land," Emma added. Belle nodded.

"I understand...I'm just pleading that you'll be honest with me, like you were today," she implored.

"I will try," he promised, as he started out and Belle joined them.

"Where are you going?" David asked curiously.

"To the well. It is the only place in town that can return that which has been lost," Gold replied.

"I'll go to the station. When magic sweeps over us, I'll need to be ready to immobilize Deimos and bind him. Then I will put him in a cell deep in the minds and put every protection spell on it that I know," she added.

"We're coming with you," David said.

"No...Snow's presence will only aggravate him more. Emma can come with me, but you two should go check on Jefferson," she replied. Snow and David exchanged a glance.

"He was pretty upset...but the curse is broken. He should have come here by now," David realized.

"We'll go find him and take Henry," Snow agreed, as they hugged Emma between them.

"Be careful," Snow pleaded.

"Ditto...seriously, both of you," Emma pleaded in return. David smiled.

"We'll be fine," he promised, as they joined hands and headed out, with Henry in tow. Persephone and Emma went the opposite way in the direction of the station.

~*~

"Where do you think he went?" Henry asked, as he and his grandparents searched around Jefferson's home, which was a mess.

"I'm not sure, kid, but we'll find him," David assured.

"Do you think he made this mess on his own?" Snow asked her husband.

"He was pretty upset when Emma and I were here earlier. Regina forced us to deliver a restraining order to him," David answered.

"She was trying to keep Paige away from her real Dad...just like she tried to keep me away from my real Mom," Henry chimed in sadly. They exchanged a glance and Snow knelt down in front of him.

"Hey...all that's over now. All the families that were separated are going to be reunited," she assured.

"She's right...and if they need help reunited, we're going to help them do that," David added.

"What about my Mom? I mean, my Mom Regina? What if she tries to hurt you again when she gets her magic back?" he asked.

"Henry...I know that you're angry with her. I am too...but she does love you, just like we love you. It's a really complicated situation...but we're going to figure it out," Snow promised. David smiled, as he watched the boy's shoulders ease. He always knew she'd be wonderful with children and had seen so in the dreamscape with Emma. But seeing it here like this left him truly in awe of her, though it was a rare occurrence when he wasn't in awe of her.

"Come on...let's head back to town," David said, as they started the trek back. By the time they reached Main Street, they saw the magenta colored cloud brewing in the distance. Snow clutched her husband's hand, as pulled Henry back against his legs. The boy turned and looked up at them with a worried expression.

"It'll be okay," David assured him with a wink and then looked at Snow.

"I hope we did the right thing by giving him that potion," she uttered. He shared her apprehensive gaze.

"I hope so too. But we're together...we found each other. That means we'll figure the rest out," he assured. She nodded and still gasped, as the cloud came barreling down the street at them. She turned inward in his arms and he put protective arms around her and Henry, as the cloud swept over them and continued throughout the entire town...


	40. Broken

Chapter 40: Broken

Belle held Rumple's hand, as they trekked up the hill to the well. Soon, he would no longer need this blasted cane and magic would help him find his son.

"Rumple…" Belle uttered, stopping them in their trek.

"What is it?" he asked.

"These past few months...you've made real friendships and I want you to know how happy that makes me for you," she replied.

"But?" he asked.

"But I know what magic does to you...I know it's like a drug for you," she added.

"It is...but I need it, Belle. Not just to find my son, but to protect us," he insisted.

"From what? What is coming?" she asked.

"I can't say for sure...but there will be danger that comes to our town when it becomes a place of magic. But I have no choice. I have to take these risks to find my son," he replied.

"Just promise me that you won't betray the people that have helped you get here. They're trusting you too," she reminded.

"Some would say they are foolish for doing so. I manipulated many people and events to see the that the curse would be cast," he admitted. She gave him a stern look.

"But I will strive to be the man I know you want me to be. The man I failed to be for my son," he promised. Belle took his hand and they continued the rest of the way to the well. Gold popped the cork on the bottle and then dropped it into the well. He couldn't hide the delight on his face, as pinkish purple smoke began to billow from the well and slowly drifted toward town in a thick cloud.

"Magic is power, Belle. Everything will fall into place now," he assured, as they started back to town. Belle still looked uncertain. Magic always caused problems and it never made things simple. She would never deny him the means to find his son, but she couldn't shake the feeling that bringing magic to Storybrooke would also invite a plethora of trouble.

~*~

When Regina arrived home, she had immediately went to Henry's room and collapsed on his bed. She held one of his pillows to her, as she cried. She knew instinctively that she had no one but herself to blame for losing him. But that didn't make it any easier to accept. Her curse was broken and everyone was awake now. But she didn't care about any of that, for the one person she actually cared about wanted nothing to do with her at the moment. The look of betrayal on his cherub face when he heard her admit that everything about the curse was true was devastating. But it was even worse to watch him grab the apple out of Emma's hand and bite into it, knowing full well what it was. She had been so focused on getting rid of Emma and her parents that she had never entertained the possibility that Henry could be caught in the crossfire. She sniffed and happened to look up. She noticed a pinkish purple cloud on the horizon and put the pillow down, before going to the window. She knew what that cloud was...what it meant. She should have known this was Rumpelstiltskin's plan all along. Magic...it was coming and it could be her answer to everything. She smirked deviously, as she watched it sweep through her town.

~*~

They heard the rattling of the bars, as they entered the station, as Deimos angrily tried to break through them. Persephone knew if she wasn't quick when the magic swept over them that he would do just that.

"If you really think you can keep me bound...then you have no idea who you are dealing with!" he growled.

"Oh...I know exactly who I am dealing with and trust me, I've went to great lengths to acquire what I need to lock you up indefinitely," she assured. He rattled the bars again and glanced at Emma, who glared daggers at him.

"Take care of Mommy and Daddy while you have them, Miss Swan," he hissed. Emma advanced and stared at him face to face through the bars.

"You better hope you don't escape...because if you ever touch either of them again, I'll find a way to kill you and for good this time," Emma threatened. Gingerly, Persephone put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

"You can't kill me...I've proven that to be impossible," Deimos reminded.

"The only reason you are alive is Hades sacrificed your twin brother's life to bring you back. Believe me, there is no way I will ever let such happen again," Persephone replied. Emma looked at her.

"It's a long story...I'll explain it later to you and your parents," she promised. Emma happened to look out the window and saw the pinkish cloud blanketing the town.

"Yes...I can already feel the magic in the air," Deimos hissed, as the steel bars began to bend ever so slightly. The pink cloud swept by the window and Persephone's hands glowed once again with lavender colored magic and her eyes flashed the same color. Deimos' eyes flashed blood red and he started to bend the bars. But a strand of glowing silver chains appeared in one of the Goddess' hands, while she used to her other to poof them to a new location.

They reappeared down in the mines, much to Emma's surprise. Deimos was trying in vain to climb his way out of a hole deep in the wall that she had created.

"You won't imprison me!" he screeched, as she tossed the chains over the opening and then outstretched her hands, even as he screamed murderously.

Persephone's hands glowed brightly, as she molded the chains over the opening and sealed it with her magic. The chains kept their glow even once her magic faded and Deimos growled in frustration.

"This will not hold me forever, Persephone! And then you will pay...you'll all pay!" he promised.

"How permanent is this? Prometheus got out apparently, so he could too?" Emma asked.

"There are ways...but trust me, Zeus has no interest in seeing him free," Persephone replied.

"Then Hades...what's keeping him from coming here and finding a way?" Emma asked seriously.

"I wish I could promise he won't find a way here, but I won't let him hurt this family. Leaving the Underworld is risky for him. He has more power there. Here...it's a level playing ground and that's why you'll need to learn to use your magic too," she revealed. Her eyes widened.

"But I don't have magic," Emma refuted.

"Yes...you do. You're the Savior, Emma. Your parents make magic between them...you," Persephone replied.

"I know it's a lot to take in," she added.

"So if I can learn magic from you...I can protect them and Henry?" she asked. Persephone nodded.

"As much as I wish it wasn't a burden you needed to bare...yes," she answered.

"If it means protecting my parents and my son...then I'm in," she agreed. Persephone smiled thinly and cast one more glance at the imprisoned God of Terror, before poofing them back to town.

~*~

The pinkish smoke cleared from their vision and David and Snow looked around. There were no visible changes, but they saw the dwarves, Red, and Granny ahead of them.

"Snow!" Red called, as they shared another hug, while David hugged Granny, before switching with Snow to hug Red. David shared a handshake with Grumpy.

"So I guess it's broken now?" he asked. David nodded and slipped his arm around Snow's waist.

"Yes...Emma broke the curse, just as we knew she always would," he said, as they shared a smile.

"Uh...then why didn't we go back?" Grumpy countered. Snow and David exchanged a glance.

"From what I know...the whole reason we're in this land is so Gold can find his son. I'm not sure going back was ever apart of any plan," David answered.

"Your Prince is correct," Gold interjected, as he and Belle arrived. Grumpy was about to lash out at the Dark One, but then recognized the woman with him.

"Belle?" he asked.

"Dreamy," she called, as she hugged him fondly.

"Uh...yeah, it's Grumpy now...I guess," he grumbled.

"You two know each other?" Snow asked in surprise.

"I met her before I met you...when I was still Dreamy," Grumpy replied.

"Dreamy?" David asked with curious amusement.

"Watch it, handsome," the dwarf warned. He shared an amused look with Snow.

"Oh...thank goodness, there you are!" Archie cried, as he rushed up to them.

"What's going on?" Emma asked, as she and Persephone appeared.

"It's Whale...he's whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're headed for Regina's house...they're gonna kill her," he warned.

"Good...let's watch," Grumpy grumbled. But Henry's eyes were alight with fear.

"But she's still my Mom…" he pleaded.

"He's right…" Emma agreed.

"But she might have her magic back...they could be walking into a slaughter," David interjected.

"Not on my watch," Persephone replied, as they started to hurry toward Regina's house.

~*~

The mob of people rounded the corner and made a beeline for the Mayor's mansion.

"Open up!" Whale shouted, as he banged on the door.

"Open up or we're coming in!" he shouted again, as he kept banging on the door, which opened suddenly to a Regina, with a patronizing look on her face.

"Can I help you?" she questioned to the virtual mob on her porch.

"That smirk isn't gonna last forever, Regina. You took everything from us. And now…" Whale spat.

"What? Now you're going to kill me?" the Queen challenged.

"Eventually. But first...you need to suffer," he retorted. Regina scoffed and stepped outside, shoving past the doctor.

"Listening to you has been enough suffering for all of us," Regina said, as she turned to the crowd.

"That's right. You wanted to see your Queen? Well, my dears...here she is!" Regina hissed, as she raised her arms, flinging her hands over the crowd. The people cowered, expecting magic. But the shock marring Regina's face was palpable, as her attempt to summon any magic failed.

"She's powerless!" one person shouted from the crowd.

"How is this happening…" Regina uttered, as she stared at her hands like they had betrayed her.

"Get her!" another man shouted, as they closed in on her. Whale shoved her up against one of the columns on the porch, as he put his hand around her neck.

"Let her go!" Emma commanded, as she grabbed Whale's arm and shoved him away. David was only too happy to grab the doctor and keep him from advancing on them.

"Why should I listen to you?" Whale hissed.

"Because I am still the Sheriff," Emma retorted.

"And she saved you. All of you!" David added, directing that statement at the crowd.

"And because no matter what Regina did...it does not justify this. We are not like her, at least I didn't think we were," Snow continued, addressing the angry mob.

"We are not murderers here," Emma agreed.

"Well, we're not from this world," Whale argued, as he got in Emma's face.

"Well, you're in it now," Emma retorted. David did not like the doctor's obvious malevolence toward his daughter and put himself between them.

"You're done here, Whale," David growled, as he grabbed him by the collar of the shirt.

"Back off! You're not my Prince!" Whale growled back. David eyed him with scrutiny.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"That's my business," Whale answered.

"Well, it's my business in making sure this town doesn't go to hell. I may not be your Prince, but I am Deputy. Emma is your Sheriff and we have a lot to figure out. But this isn't the way to do it," David stated.

"Regina's death won't provide any answers. She needs to be locked up. For her safety and ours," Snow added.

"You really think we're going to listen you? You're the reason for all this...the curse," Whale hissed at her. David shoved him back.

"I don't know who you are, but you stay the hell away from her or Regina is going to be the least of your worries," the Prince growled. Whale hadn't been anywhere close to as bad as Damon had been about harassing Mary Margaret during the curse. But he had been known to make her just as uncomfortable and attempted a few times to prey on her loneliness. It was enough to make David want to rip him apart.

"Or what Deputy? Are you going to use your fists on me like you did Damon Tromera? Or perhaps push me into a fire?" Whale goaded. David would have pummeled him if Emma and Snow hadn't been there to reign him in.

"Dad...he's not worth it," Emma admonished.

"Charming...please, she's right," Snow agreed.

"Just leave, before I toss you in a cell," Emma threatened. Whale threw his hands up.

"Then you'll have to throw us all in a cell, Sheriff," he called, rallying the mob to his cause.

"That is quite enough from you, Dr. Frankenstein," Persephone said commandingly, as she parted the crowd down the middle.

"Dr. Frankenstein? Seriously?" Emma asked in disbelief.

"So that's why he's not in the book," Henry reasoned.

"And just who the hell are you to tell me when it's enough? Especially after what she did to us!" Whale hissed.

"I don't need you to tell me what she has done!" she snapped.

"And as for who I am...you're not too far off with hell," she warned, as she raised her hand and a pair of cuffs appeared on Regina's wrists.

"I am Persephone...and I'm not having any problems with my magic," she warned. Whale swallowed and started to back away, as did the rest of the crowd. He spared a glance at Snow again.

"I can't believe you're going to let the Queen get away with what she did. I thought Snow White wasn't the meek little waif that Mary Margaret was. But it seems that she's the same. It's too bad I never got a chance at you...maybe I could have brought out a little tiger in you," he leered.

"Oh that's it...I'm gonna rip you head off, Whale!" David growled, but Snow would beat him to it, as she decked the doctor. One punch perfectly aimed at his nose sent him tumbling down the steps, head over heels, and flat on his back.

"Whoa...nice one Mom," Emma complimented.

"Wow…" Henry said, looking at his grandmother in awe. Sure, he had read about how fierce a warrior she was in the book. But seeing it first hand was even more amazing. Snow shook her hand, as David put his arms around her and then kissed her bruised knuckle, all while gazing at her in awe. After that display, the mob quickly dissipated and Whale left with a busted nose and a bruised ego. And knowing him, the latter was probably more painful than the nose.

"So that's it...you're just going to lock me away and throw away the key?" Regina asked, as they marched her toward the station.

"Did you really expect to go free after what you've done?" David countered. She turned to him sharply.

"What I've done?" she snapped, as she glared at Snow.

"She never did anything to you," Emma snapped back, getting in front of her parents.

"You don't know, Miss Swan...she ruined my life!" Regina shouted.

"No...she didn't. And you're wrong, I know all about it! Despite the fact that you tried to ruin my life by taking my parents away, I knew them, if only in my dreams," Emma revealed.

"You...you've been together?" she asked, suddenly realizing how much she actually didn't know.

"That's right...I spent twenty-eight years in a dreamscape while I was in a coma. I had Snow and Emma with me when they slept. We had that at least, even though we had to watch our daughter struggle growing up alone in this land," David replied. Regina looked at the Goddess.

"You did this, didn't you?" she questioned.

"I do not have power over dreams, but Morpheus does. He granted mine and my mother's request and gifted the dreamscape to them," Persephone revealed, as they put Regina in the cell.

"You keep trying to blame my daughter for Daniel's death, because you refuse to face the reality of what your own mother did to you," the Goddess continued.

"If she had just kept her big mouth shut...then…" Regina growled.

"Then what?" Persephone cut her off.

"Your Mother would have just let you and Daniel run away together?" she questioned.

"Open your eyes, Regina! I know for a fact that your Mother already knew of your plans to leave and marry Daniel. She just wanted to make sure she ruined your relationship with Snow before it even got started," Persephone replied. Regina was silent.

"From my vantage point in the Underworld, there were times that all I could do was watch. And your Mother...I've watched her and others do a great many injustices to you and my little girl. I told you once that you and I are not so different," Persephone continued.

"We both know what it's like to be forced to marry men that we didn't love," the Goddess said, as their eyes locked.

"Cora and Leopold forced you into that situation, but Snow was never at fault for any of it!" she ranted.

"Please Mom...she's right. Grams never wanted to hurt you," Henry pleaded, as he went up to the bars.

"Henry...you don't understand," Regina replied.

"No...I do!" he countered.

"I'm ten and I'm not a baby anymore!" he cried, as Emma pulled him back.

"Hey kid...why don't we go get you something to eat," the blonde suggested.

"Regina...I'm so sorry. I didn't know what Cora was like then. I was just a child," Snow tried to apologize.

"I will never accept that," Regina refused. David glowered at her and pulled his wife away gently.

"Leave me," she ordered.

"Just one more thing before I do," Persephone replied, as she turned back.

"Suppose it had been Henry that told your secret. Would you have blamed him for Daniel's death? Would you have secretly loathed him for years and then hunted him like an animal? Would you have tried to kill him and all those he loves multiple times?" she asked.

"Of course not...but that's different. Henry is a child!" the Queen spat. Persephone smiled pitifully.

"Henry is the same age my Snow was when she told that secret," she reminded. Regina took a sharp breath, but attempted to keep her expression unchanged.

"I think you've forgotten that or you wanted to forget it maybe. I suppose it would make it easier to think of Snow as a monster rather than the child she was," the Goddess stated. The tears forming in Regina's eyes were undeniable.

"I really was counting on you, you know, at first...when Eva died. I was really hoping you'd be there for my sweet little girl when I could not. She adored you...idolized you even. Just one more thing that Cora ruined," Persephone said distastefully, as she strode out of the station to follow her family.

~*~

New York City

A man dressed in a nice suit, carrying a backpack stepped off the subway and milled his way through the crowded New York City streets to his apartment building. As per usual, he checked his mailbox in the lobby of his building and found a postcard inside.

Written on the blank side, there was a single world. "Broken". The man turned the postcard over and gazed at the picturesque photo of a clock tower and the words "Greetings From Storybrooke" scrawled on it. The man seemed frozen for a moment, as if contemplating his next move. New York City was a very big place and he no longer carried a recognizable name. The chances of being found here in one of the biggest cities in the world were astronomically small. Still...perhaps relocation should be a consideration. He promised himself if there was ever any chance of him being found that he would flee. The problem was that he didn't know at that time that he would one day put down roots in one place and actually build a life. He didn't know there would ever be more than himself to consider and it left him wondering what his next move should be. For now, he stuffed the postcard in his bag and went up to his apartment. Despite telling himself that he had moved on...his mind kept drifting to a blonde woman he hadn't seen in over ten years, but was never far from his mind. And suddenly, he found himself not so eager to run...

~*~

After leaving the station, Persephone expressed her need to go to the hospital, telling them that Ariel had been locked up there by Regina. Snow was very eager to free and see her friend, so the five of them headed to the hospital.

"I'm sorry...but Regina is still the Mayor. Without her permission, I cannot release any patients from the psychiatric ward," Nurse Ratchet declared, as she blocked their entrance.

"No...you see that's not going to work for me. I know Ariel was put down here against her will and for no other reason than Regina's need to punish anyone who was either awake or fond of my daughter," Persephone replied sternly. Nurse Ratchet rolled her eyes.

"Miss Kore…" she started to say.

"Oh...you haven't heard. Miss Kore is my "curse" identity. I'm actually Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. And Regina being in charge is seriously in question. Whatever cushy privileges you've enjoyed under her or favors you've received by being one of her cronies are done now," she said.

"So you're stepping in as our new Queen?" the Nurse questioned.

"No...that would be my daughter," Persephone snapped back, as she indicated Snow. Nurse Ratchet practically burst out laughing.

"Miss Blanchard?" she asked.

"Snow White," Persephone shot back. The Nurse frowned and she cleared her throat.

"I have seen no official election, but since you've brought the Sheriff's department too, I suppose there is nothing stopping you...for now," she said, as she finally let them pass.

"Man...she was a piece of work," Emma commented, as her father agreed with an exasperated nod.

"Um...about what you said. I'm not Queen," Snow admonished.

"You are the rightful heir to the Throne, sweetheart," Persephone corrected.

"Am I?" Snow asked, as they stopped in the hallway.

"I mean...they weren't my real parents," Snow said sadly, still trying to wrap her mind around it.

"But your father, your real father, was Queen Eva's younger brother," Persephone revealed.

"But she never told me about a brother," Snow said. Persephone looked down sadly.

"When Hades became determined to kill you upon your birth, my mother Demeter, took actions to make sure we could hide you. All memory of Prince Elijah was erased from the Kingdom by Morpheus and we used a potion to strip you of your immortality. It was the only way to hide you," she revealed. David put his arm around his wife, as those facts sank in. Snow's head was still spinning, but she felt comfort in her husband's arms.

"Snow?" a voice called. The raven haired beauty rushed to the cell and saw Ariel inside.

"Ariel!" she cried, as Emma unlocked the cell and she hugged the redhead.

"It's so good to see you," Snow said.

"David...is that you?" another voice called.

"Jefferson?" David called, as he took the keys and unlocked his cell too.

"I should have known she put you here when we couldn't find you," David said, as he let him out.

"I'm sorry...I did something…" he started to say, but David put his hand up.

"Easy...we can all go to the diner and talk. And whatever it was...the curse is over now. This is the time where we all take back our lives," David said, as he spoke to all of them. It was a speech they would likely have to make to others, as everyone tried to figure out what their lives, post curse, were going to look like.


	41. Next To Me

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 41: Next To Me

"So...it's over? That wave...it's really over?" Jefferson asked, as they emerged from the basement level of the hospital. David nodded.

"Emma broke the curse," he confirmed.

"But how...the apple…" Jefferson rambled almost manically.

"Regina wanted me to eat the apple, but before either of us could stop him, the kid took a bite," Emma told him. Jefferson's mouth was ajar, as he looked at Henry, who just smiled at him.

"God...I'm so sorry. I helped her get the apple...I was so stupid to trust her!" he lamented, as he sat down in a chair and put his head in his hands. David exchanged a look with Snow and she nodded to him, as he sat down beside the Hatter.

"Look...what you did wasn't smart, but I get it. You did something desperate for your child. I've done the same. You made a mistake, but it doesn't change that we're still friends," David told him. Jefferson looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

"I betrayed our friendship and was almost the reason the curse might have never been broken," he reminded. David nodded.

"And you're clearly extremely regretful. A lot of people have been hurt by this whole situation and driven to do things they wouldn't normally do," he said, as he looked up at his family, who all smiled at him.

"We forgive you. Now let's go get something to eat at Granny's. Then first thing tomorrow morning, we'll go get your daughter back," he said, as he clapped him on the shoulder.

"What if Grace doesn't want me back?" Jefferson asked, as they stood up.

"She's your daughter and she loves you," David replied.

"But she's been living with another family for twenty-eight years. What if she wants to stay with them?" he wondered.

"She might not want to stop seeing them completely, but I know Grace from my days as Mary Margaret," Snow chimed in, as he looked up at her.

"She's a very sweet little girl and she's going to be overjoyed to have you back in her life," she assured. David smiled and put his arm around her waist.

"Yeah, so let's go. I really need some onion rings after this day," Emma agreed, as she put her arm around her kid.

"So that's it...I've just been adopted by this crazy family?" Jefferson quipped. David smirked.

"Yep...you're screwed. Did I use that right?" he asked his daughter, who rolled her eyes playfully.

"Yeah Dad, you used it right," she confirmed.

"Wow...you really are a grandpa. Between trying to use your kid's lingo and watching you try to use a phone, it all makes perfect sense now," Jefferson deadpanned.

"Excuse me for not having curse memories for all this stuff," David retorted.

"I, for one, like that you don't have curse memories," Snow chimed in, as he looked over at her.

"And I need you to know that I love Mary just as much as I love you, my darling," he assured her. She melted into his at that and they kissed tenderly. When their lips parted, Snow rested her head against his shoulder, as they continued on.

Before the diner, they made their way up a few floors to check on Maleficent. When they arrived, they saw her happily cradling a newborn. She gave them a curt nod from the window of her room and for now, they left her to be with her baby, whom the nurse revealed she had named Lily.

Soon, they arrived at the diner and were welcomed again with open arms by Red and Granny. The curse was broken at last and though they knew there were still obstacles in their path and much healing to do for many, they were finally together as a family. Whatever danger or uncertainty the future held would be faced together. For now, they enjoyed just that, being together and were surprised to see Belle and Gold when they arrived at the diner as well. Granny still gave the Dark One some wary looks, but for the most part accepted it when Snow and David welcomed him and Belle into their circle.

~*~

"Wow...so that story we read in that old book, it's all true?" Belle asked in disbelief. Snow nodded, as she looked at Persephone and then back at Belle.

"Apparently it is...I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself," she replied. Persephone squeezed her hand.

"I know it's a lot to take in and I know you still have a lot of emotions you're working through, sweetie. But just knowing that you don't want to completely shun me means everything to me," Persephone said, choking up a bit. Snow cocked her head to the side.

"I could never do that...you became my friend when I didn't have many at all. So did you, Belle and Emma. With the three of you and David...I didn't feel alone anymore and that was everything," Snow confessed.

"The curse was so lonely and even though I was basically reliving each day over and over again, I still remember all those moments where I thought I was nothing. That I was sure it wouldn't matter to anyone if I just disappeared," she confessed.

"Mom…" Emma said sympathetically, but Snow put her hand on her daughter's.

"It's okay sweetie...it is nothing compared to what you went through in this world. I remember everything now from the dreamscape. So my question is...how are you? This has to be a lot for you," Snow said. Emma smiled at her.

"Maybe if I hadn't been prepared for all this by you and Dad. Maybe if I hadn't known you both all my life, yeah my head would probably be spinning. I know I was really hard on you and Dad in my teen years, but this is what we've been waiting for," Emma said, as she looked at her and then Henry.

"I'm home...I'm finally home," she added.

"Oh honey…" Snow gushed, as she hugged her again.

"If you two don't stop, I'm going to start crying," Belle warned, as she noticed Persephone already was. The brunette handed her a napkin and she sniffed.

"Thank you...I promised myself I wasn't going to go to pieces," she admonished.

"I think you have every right to fall apart a little. From what I read, they're not the only ones that have been through a lot. I can't imagine being trapped half the year in a place like the Underworld," Belle mentioned. Persephone sniffed.

"There were times that it was horrific...the death around you is almost too much at times. And Hades...he's not completely cruel most of the time. There were years he didn't even touch me...and became indifferent to me even," she explained.

"But there were times that he expected me to be his wife and took things from me I never gave him. At the beginning was the worst I think...when he first abducted me centuries ago. I was relatively young then for a Goddess," she continued.

"I can't imagine what you went through...but Hades can't get to us now, right?" Snow asked. She frowned.

"I wish that were true, snowdrop. But I will not lie to you. Hades will come for me...eventually," she warned.

"Then we fight him," Emma said firmly.

"I only hope we can, sweetheart. He will be less powerful away from the Underworld, but by no means a pushover. And I sense he will not come alone," she warned.

"It doesn't matter...we'll still fight for you, because you fought for us, even when we had no idea," Snow agreed, bringing tears to the Goddess' eyes again.

"She's right...it sounds like someone finally teaches Hades what the word no means," Emma said sternly. Snow nodded and glanced over at her husband at the booth behind them. He was having an intense conversation with Gold and Jefferson, but met her eyes with a warm gaze. Knowing him, he was probably pleading that neither of his unlikely friends did anything rash.

~*~

"So...now that the Queen is locked up, what exactly are we going to do with her?" Jefferson asked. David opened his mouth to answer, but Gold pulled an object from his jacket pocket. It was a velvet pouch which had a drawstring as a closure.

"What is that?" David asked wearily.

"What will soon be the demise of the Queen," he stated.

"Tell me more," Jefferson said with interest.

"Wait…" David protested.

"One mark from the talisman inside this pouch and a wraith will be unleashed to suck the soul out of Regina," he stated.

"Hold on...you want to release a wraith in Storybrooke?" David questioned.

"She has to pay for what she did," Jefferson reminded.

"I agree...but not like this. Besides, don't you think releasing a wraith on the town might put other people in danger?" David questioned.

"It will only go after those that are marked," Rumple corrected.

"You hope...but if someone gets in its way, I doubt it's going to discriminate," David protested.

"Chisel chin might have a point," Jefferson wavered.

"Regina has to pay for what she did to Belle," Gold hissed.

"And she will...but not like this. Promise me you won't use that thing to mark Regina," David said sternly.

"No…" Gold refuted.

"Really? What do you think Belle will think when you do this?" he warned.

"She won't have to know," he muttered.

"She'll know...trust me. Even if you were somehow to keep her from finding out for a while, secrets always have a way of coming out," he reminded.

"It does seem risky. As much as I want Regina to pay...I'd rather not see anyone else get caught in the crossfire," Jefferson agreed.

"Since when are you noble?" Gold spat.

"Since I almost screwed us...I won't do that again," Jefferson answered. Gold clenched his teeth, but then pocketed the pouch.

"Fine...no wraith. But you better hope that cell holds her. It won't take Regina long to figure out how magic works here," the Dark One warned.

"Persephone said there's a protection spell on the cell. She can't get out with magic," David assured.

"We should lock her up in the hospital psych ward and see how she likes it," Jefferson suggested. David sighed.

"Look...I know what she did, but Henry still loves her. We can't do anything to her that's going to hurt him," the Prince stated.

"For now, she's locked up. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that we can't be like her. I've had a very long time to think about all this in the dreamscape. She would deserve anything we did to her probably, but it would make Henry unhappy. And Snow as well," he added.

"She can't seriously still think that woman still cares for her?" Jefferson asked. He shrugged.

"She wants to and I won't break my wife's heart," he replied.

"No, Regina will do that for you. I made her what she is, trust me. There is no going back from that," Gold stated.

"Are you sure? Because there was a time I would have probably said the same about you," David argued, as they shared a steely gaze.

"Fine...we do this your way. Regina stays locked up and nothing more...for now," Gold agreed. David nodded.

"Thank you," he stated.

"So...now what?" Jefferson asked. David shrugged.

"Tomorrow morning, we'll reunite you with your daughter and figure all that out. Then if there are others that need help figuring out how to meld two lives into one that makes sense for them, then we help them," the Prince said.

"Okay Charmz...but I'm new at this helping people thing. Guess I'll follow your lead, but what about him?" the Hatter asked.

"I begin the search for my son. First thing we must do is determine how easy it will be to cross the town line," Gold stated. David nodded.

"That's right...it could still be dangerous," he agreed.

"Then I guess after we get my daughter back, we can meet at the town line. Maybe your Mother-in-law will have some insight," Jefferson suggested. David knew that was her title, even if it was still going to take some getting used to.

"Yeah...for now, I suggest we go home. I don't know about you, but I have my wife back for the first time in twenty-eight years, other than in our dreams. There is some...reacquainting I'd like to be doing right now," David said. Gold raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing he had Belle back as well and shared the Prince's sentiments when it came to her.

"That was too much information, handsome," Jefferson complained. It seemed the ladies were in agreement, as the evening grew late. They paid their checks and went their separate ways for the night.

~*~

"I know the loft is a little cramped for five of us...but I was hoping you'd keep staying Emma and that you'd stay too...Mom," Snow said, taking a deep breath as she used that word. It felt a little foreign, but she was slowly growing to realize it was a title Persephone deserved. The other raven haired woman smiled.

"I have no desire to be apart from my family ever again. However, until we decide if the loft is right for all of us...I can use a bit of magic to perhaps extend our living space a bit," he offered, as they climbed the stairs to the apartment.

Mary unlocked the door and they filed in. Even though they had been there that morning, it felt like it had been days since they had been home. They followed Persephone upstairs and with a wave of her hand, the loft magically separated into three good sized bedrooms.

"Cool…" Henry said, as he went into his room.

"It's like the extending tents in Harry Potter!" he exclaimed and the Goddess chuckled.

"Yes...I suppose it is," she agreed.

"Well...I'm beat. Goodnight Mom and Dad," Emma said, as she hugged them both.

"Goodnight Emma...we love you so much," Snow gushed, as David cradled her head.

"She's right Princess...we'll see you in the morning," he said, as they hugged Henry too. Finally Persephone hugged them both as well.

"I know you both still have many questions and I promise I'll answer all of them," she said, before retiring to her room.

They did have questions, but right now, all they wanted to do was relish finally being together. They went downstairs, hand in hand, and closed the curtain around their bed. Soft candlelight became the only light in the loft and shadows were cast of two silhouettes becoming one…

~*~

Snow gazed up at him, as her arms slid around his neck. She'd barely been able to keep herself from constantly touching him since her memories had returned. They had been together a thousand times in the dreamscape over the last twenty-eight years and many times as David and Mary Margaret. But touching his flesh as herself was an ache that she had wanted to feel since her memories rushed back to her. The buttons on his shirt were undone with haste and she clawed at the undershirt he wore beneath that, peeling it off over his head. She pressed open mouthed kisses on his chest and down his abdomen, as her nimble fingers undid his belt. He helped her push them down and kicked them away, as he sat down on the edge of the bed. She gasped in pleasure, as his hands moved beneath her blouse and lifted it up so he could kiss her milky skin. She shrugged out of her cardigan and then lifted her arms, so he could push the blouse over her head. He greedily trailed kisses over her ribcage and down her taut stomach, while she trembled at his lips on her skin. He undid the button her jeans and worked them down her legs, his eyes drinking in every inch of her standing before him in only undergarments. She smirked and walked around him to the head of the bed. He craned his neck, as he watched her climb onto the bed, her eyes beckoning him. He turned over and hovered above her. Her legs parted and he settled between them, as his lips covered hers. The passion swelled between them, as they kissed intensely, making out with lips moving together for quite some time, before his finally started to travel down her neck. Snow writhed against him and bucked her hips against the growing bulge in his underwear. He reached around and snapped the clasp of her bra open. Snow impatiently helped him rid her of the garment and then pulled him down into another kiss, crushing her breasts against his chest.

"Oh Snow…" he uttered, as he kissed his way down her body again, this time to the valley between her breasts. But in a clear move that showed him his Snow was back, she pushed him onto his back and straddled his waist. Charming was taken by surprise for a moment, as she held his shoulders down and kissed him hard, sucking on his bottom lip. He kissed her back just as eagerly, as her tongue darted into his mouth and she made him cry out when she rubbed her ass against his erection. She finally released his bruised lips with a smack and smirked sultrily at him, as she practically tore his underwear away. He watched her, mesmerized, as she licked the head of his cock and let him watch his member disappear into her mouth.

"Oh Gods Snow…" he cried out, as she sucked him and then released him with a pop.

"As much as I want you to come...I want it to be inside my pussy," she hissed with a naughty smile. He sat up and pushed her onto her back, as their heads were now at the foot of the bed.

"I think I can help with that…" he purred. She smirked.

"Oh, I'm counting on it, Charming…" she agreed, as he pushed inside her with a hard thrust. She locked her ankles around the small of his back, as he began to move with rapid, hammering thrusts. She bit her bottom lip, as he took her and found herself gripping the spokes of the foot board, as the entire bed rocked.

"Charming…" she cried out, as they fucked. The sex between David and Mary Margaret had been amazing and incredible in its own right. But between them, Snow and Charming, it reached yet another level of intimacy that only two people as in sync as them. Snow took control and flipped him onto his back, as she began riding him, undulating her hips over his. She impaled herself on him, driving his thick length into her sweet spot with every measured gallop.

"Snow…" he cried out, as he felt himself at the edge.

"Mmm...Charming…" she panted, as she neared her own climax.

"Oh Snow...Snow!" he shouted, as he came inside her. She moaned loudly, as he filled her and triggered her own orgasm. She writhed and trembled, as he pulled her down into his arms, while they both came down.

She lay atop him, as they bathed in the afterglow and recovered from their intense climaxes.

"I love you so much…" Snow said, listening to his heartbeat.

"And I love you, my darling. I fell in love with Mary Margaret and love her as deeply as I love you as Snow. But...I am relieved that I don't have to keep things from you...that you remember everything now too," he confessed.

"Me too, my love. Having you in my life as Mary Margaret meant everything though. She was someone who didn't think she could be loved," she confessed in return. He caressed her face.

"That time is over. Snow White nor Mary Margaret will ever feel alone or unloved again," he promised. She smiled.

"Because you found me," she said fondly.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" he asked. She shook her head and kissed him, as passion anew swelled between them, ensuring it would be a long night of loving and reuniting…

~*~

Captain Hook stared up at the beanstalk wearily and then back at his companion with scrutiny.

"So...let me see if I have this correct. You want me to climb this bloody beanstalk, tangle with the giant at the top, steal his magic beans, and climb back down...all unscathed might I add," he inquired. Cora chuckled.

"Heavens no, Captain. I wouldn't expect you to do all of this by yourself. Unfortunately, poofing to a place such as this requires me to be able to see it first. The giants have magical protections in place, after all," Cora stated.

"I thought you said there was only one giant left?" Hook asked.

"Yes Captain, but the protection of the elders still remain. I want you take this fairy dust and sprinkle it on the first looking glass you see," Cora said, as she handed him the small vial of iridescent dust. She then poofed her own looking glass right before them.

"Once you've done that, I'll be able to slip into this enchanted looking glass and through the one up there," she explained. Hook sighed.

"And this other land...the Crocodile is there?" he questioned again.

"Yes...and he will have many vulnerabilities for you to prey on, I assure you, Captain," she responded.

"Then I guess I have a beanstalk to climb," he said, as he got started. He hoped these efforts would at last yield results in getting him closer to his fulfilling his revenge. Cora smirked, looking on, as the Captain climbed and soon disappeared above the clouds.

"It won't be long now, Regina. With the curse broken...you'll finally need me again," she murmured.

~*~

The Underworld

Hades seethed, as he watched his traitorous wife reunite with her beloved little Snow White. This would not stand...he would not allow her to make a fool of him like this! His rage nearly boiled over when he witnessed her bind Deimos in the mines with Prometheus' chains. Freeing him from such bonds was not easily done. His nephew, Hercules, had barely managed to free Prometheus so long ago. That had been a heroic act too, but freeing Deimos would be different. An act of releasing such an evil carried a whole new set of rules. But it was possible...he just had to get there.

"Buckle up Storybrooke...Hades is coming for a visit and I promise to turn that little town to ash," he growled, as Hermes appeared in his chamber.

"Good...you're back. Where is Zelena?" he asked. She had the ruby slippers, which were their ticket to the Land Without Magic. They could have used them to go there weeks ago, for unlike a bean, the slippers could transport one to places without magic. However, neither Hades or Zelena had been interested in going to a place with no magic.

But Rumpelstiltskin had made an egregious error in bringing magic to the little town. His quest to find his son overruled his good sense, as usual, and he had effectively doomed them all as a result.

"Zelena is gone…" Hermes revealed. Hades turned his head sharply to look at the Messenger God.

"What do you mean she's gone?" the God of the Dead questioned in an even tone. Hermes swallowed.

"She used the ruby slippers and has already journeyed to the Land Without Magic," he revealed, as he stepped back several paces, anticipating the explosion of rage that was about to come. Hades' hair exploded in blue flames, which ignited over his entire form.

"Yeah...so I'm gonna go…" Hermes said, as he backed away further.

"Pain...Panic…" Hades growled, as his two brutes blocked Hermes' path.

"You're not going anywhere until you help me fix this," Hades stated.

"Zeus is already suspicious of me. He already suspects I've been aiding you and plotting against him," Hermes warned.

"Which is why it's time for you to grow a spine and choose your side, Hermes. No longer can you cowardly play both sides of the fence, just because you can go both places," the King of the Underworld hissed.

"We both know that you are dissatisfied with Zeus' rule or you wouldn't have ever helped me in the first place. It's time to choose which side you want to be on when the final battle begins," Hades warned. Hermes clenched his jaw and glared daggers at the other God.

"Even if I choose this side...you still have no way into the Land Without Magic without those slippers," he warned.

"Oh, but there is a way and you can make it happen for me, because you're Hermes and you can go anywhere, even the Land Without Magic," Hades retorted.

"You want me to go and retrieve the slippers for you?" he asked. Hades scoffed.

"You couldn't even if I wanted you too. Zelena would vaporize you the moment she saw you, because she knows you're associated with me," the blue haired God replied.

"Then what? There is no other way for you to cross into the living world," Hermes responded.

"Wrong again…" Hades shot back.

"With the Dark One dagger and the blood of someone who has been here and then returned to the living world, Charon will grant me access to Storybrooke," he surmised.

"Are you hearing yourself? You just said I couldn't make it past the Wicked Witch. Now you want me to steal the Dark One dagger and acquire blood from Persephone? Because she's the only one that fits your description," Hermes reminded.

"You're batting zero today, Hermes. My wife isn't the only one...her beloved little snowdrop was born here, if you remember. Her blood will do. As for the dagger...I believe there is someone that will be willing to strike a deal with us, especially if it means seeing to the demise of Snow White, her entire family, and my treasonous snake of a wife," Hades informed him.

"So the question now is...where do your true loyalties rest?" Hades continued, as he approached the other God.

"Will you continue your mundane existence as Zeus' gopher or shall you choose to do my bidding? Keep in mind, your loyalty to Zeus has gotten you what over the last ten thousand years?" Hades asked. Hermes glared at him, but couldn't come up with a single thing he had to show for his work. He was indeed Zeus' glorified gopher.

"Now...working for me? I can promise you anything. Riches...your own realm to rule if you wish...anything you want," Hades tempted.

"Persephone...I want Persephone," Hermes blurted out.

"Anything within reason," Hades countered.

"You don't want her...you want Zelena," Hermes argued.

"Persephone must pay," Hades argued in return.

"And when you gift her daughter to Deimos and kill the rest of her family, she will. It will break her like nothing else and you know it," Hermes stated firmly. Hades smirked.

"You drive quite the hard bargain...but it's a deal," the blue haired God agreed, as he and Hermes observed the little town in the viewing pond.

"Do you think they have any idea what's coming for them?" Hermes wondered. Hades smirked.

"No...they think they know the dangers ahead. But they truly have no idea the complete and utter chaos that is about to befall them," Hades hissed.


	42. Wide Awake

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 42: Wide Awake

Snow and David found themselves in the dreamscape when sleep finally took them that evening. They glanced at each other and shared a smile.

"Do you remember…" he started to say and she shook her head.

"I remember everything now," she revealed. He grinned and kissed her soundly. Now that the curse was broken, it seemed their memories of what happened while awake were not hindered.

"There you are. How come it took you guys so long to fall asleep?" Emma asked and then realized what she had just asked. Her eyes widened.

"Never mind...please don't answer that," she pleaded. David chuckled and Snow bit her bottom lip, hoping she wasn't blushing too much.

"I was kind of surprised I came here at all. I guess there's not much need to this place anymore," Emma mentioned. David shrugged.

"Maybe not...but it's a special place for us. I'm glad we still have it," he said.

"Me too, for all intents and purposes...this is where we raised you," Snow agreed. Emma smiled.

"Yeah...I guess I didn't think about it like that," she replied, as they walked around the small lake that had always been there in the lush meadow that she had spent her childhood running through. She could still remember laughing and being chased around by her father. She could still remember falling asleep in her mother's arms and wishing she never had to leave them. And now she didn't. She had found them and her son. She finally had her family. She noticed a glowing red area beyond the meadow on the edge of the dreamscape and frowned.

"Hey...what is that?" she asked, drawing her parent's attention to what she was looking at.

"I'm not sure…" Snow replied.

"Let's go see," David said, as he took her hand and they trekked to the edge of this mysterious realm that had been gifted to them.

As they got closer, they heard a voice crying out for help. And Emma recognized that voice.

"That's Henry! What's he doing here?" she cried, as she pounded on the seemingly invisible barrier that separated the peaceful dreamscape from the fiery red glow of the place beyond them.

"Oh no...I know what this is," Snow uttered.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"It's a side effect of the sleeping curse! It's the fire room...I've been there," Snow cried, as they pounded on the barrier.

"HENRY!" Emma cried.

"HENRY!" Snow and David called.

"Mom? Gramps? Grams?" the boy called out.

"We're trying to get to you, Henry!" Emma promised.

"Henry...do you see a door anywhere?" Snow called.

"I...I don't think so," the boy whimpered and then coughed.

"There's too much smoke! I can't see anything!" he cried, as his voice began to fade.

"What's happening?" Emma cried.

"I think he's waking up," Snow realized, as Emma started to hear him crying out.

"He is…" she uttered, as she disappeared. Snow and David soon followed.

~*~

Henry cried out in terror and shot up in his bed. Emma rushed into his room and immediately took him in her arms. Persephone lingered in the doorway, as Emma tried to comfort her son.

"It's okay...it was just a nightmare," she soothed.

"I was in a room and there was all this fire. But then I heard you calling to me," Henry said.

"Yeah...I guess even though it was a nightmare, it was real. I was in the dreamscape with Mom and Dad. Then we heard you calling to us. Mom says…" she started to tell them.

"It was the red room…" Snow interjected, as she and David now stood in the room with Persephone.

"Have you been there, Grams?" Henry asked.

"I'm afraid it's a side effect of the sleeping curse," Snow replied.

"Will I go there every time I go to sleep now?" the boy asked.

"Not forever...eventually I stopped going there. But it's going to take a while, I'm afraid," Snow told him.

"We have to do something. We can't let him keep going to this place," Emma pleaded.

"In the dreamscape...could there be a way for us to get to him?" David asked, directing the question to Persephone.

"I'm not sure...this is uncharted territory. The fact that you can even see or hear Henry in there is surprising. The world of dreams plays by its own set of rules. I'll send a message to Athena though. She may know more," Persephone replied.

"Do you think we could also ask Gold?" Snow questioned her husband.

"Maybe...he might have something. For now...I might have something that can help," he said, as he rushed downstairs and then returned with a candle and some matches. It made Snow smile softly and put a hand to her heart, as she watched her husband place the candle on the bedside table and then light it.

"How will that help?" Henry asked curiously. The Prince glanced back at his wife.

"Well...when your Grams was going through the same thing, I used to light a candle for her to chase the nightmares away," he revealed.

"Did it work?" Henry asked, looking at his grandmother. She smiled.

"Yes...your grandfather was always very good at chasing my nightmares away," she told him.

"I'll stay here with you until you fall back asleep," David said, as Emma tucked him in again. It didn't take long and Henry was fast asleep again. Their worry was not gone though, for they knew it would not be his last visit to the red room.

~*~

After breakfast, the five of them met Jefferson on the corner of the street where Grace lived with her curse family. They had no idea what the situation at Grace's house was now after the curse. Jefferson was noticeably a bundle of nerves, as they began the trek to the house. It was a middle class neighborhood and they immediately noticed a lot of unrest on the block. There were several houses where people seemed to be leaving and loading things into a vehicle. The hard evidence that the curse had created many false relationships made Snow shudder. This had almost been a reality for David. She did not like thinking about him with another woman and the agony that would have caused her, even without her memories. Jefferson was one of the reasons her husband kept his real memories, so she was determined to help him get his daughter back.

He stopped once they reached the house and seemed reluctant to continue.

"Maybe this is a bad idea…" Jefferson lamented.

"No...this is your little girl. I know you're worried, but trust me, she's worth fighting for," David assured.

"He's right...I know this is overwhelming, probably better than anyone. We both lived in this town for twenty-eight years. We both have all those memories, but if we let all of that keep us from those we love any longer, then Regina just keeps winning," Snow added. That message seemed to sink in with him and David smiled at his wife. She always had a way of inspiring hope in people and he was overjoyed to see that quality return. With a bit of renewed confidence, Jefferson marched up to the house with the Charming family behind him and rang the doorbell. A man that Jefferson recognized as Fred Larson answered the door.

"What the hell do you want?" the man asked. It seemed that the curse breaking didn't help some attitudes. Some people were just as awful cursed as they were in reality.

"My name is Jefferson and I'm here for my daughter, Grace," he stated as calmly as possible.

"There's no Grace here," he refuted.

"Her name was Paige under the curse," Jefferson snapped.

"And I told you the brat isn't here," he spat back, so David quickly stepped between them.

"Mr. Larson...Paige is actually Grace and she is Jefferson's biological daughter. With the curse broken, we are lawfully reuniting biological children with their biological parents," David explained.

"And we're hoping you cooperate," Emma added.

"Look, my name isn't Fred anymore and I don't know where the brat is!" he exclaimed.

"Stop calling her a brat!" Jefferson growled, but David held him back.

"Fine...then to whom are we speaking and can you tell us where Grace is?" David asked calmly.

"My name is Edgar Balthazar and I don't know where she is. I think that woman I was married to during the curse was afraid of this. She packed her and the kid's stuff and left this morning," he replied, as he slammed the door in their faces.

"She's running...she's got my daughter and she's running!" Jefferson cried.

"Easy...we have Wilby. We just need something with Grace's scent," David said, as he banged on the door.

"What the hell do you want now?!" Edgar shouted, as he opened the door.

"Is there anything that she left behind that belonged to Grace? And remember, cooperating means we go away," David said. The man sighed and looked around. He opened the closet and pulled out a pair of mittens that had white rabbits on them.

"Here...these were hers," he said, as he tossed them out and slammed the door again.

"We'll find her. Let's go home and get Wilby," David said, as they hurried back to the loft.

~*~

Reunited at last, the seven brothers were enjoying their lives, post curse. For Doc, while not an actual doctor, was still the town's medical examiner. Sure, it was mostly curse knowledge and there hadn't been too many bodies over the years to conduct autopsies, but he liked the work and the pay, so he had decided to keep his curse given career. Bashful was much the same. Spending his days in a lab might not seem appealing to some, but he found the work as a forensic analyst fascinating and suited to his introverted nature. Sneezy was also enjoying the fruits of his labor and continuing to run the Dark Star Pharmacy, while Dopey decided to keep running the ice cream shop as well. As for Leroy, Sleepy, and Happy, they had decided to change professions. Obviously, as Walter, Sleepy had a bad work history of falling asleep during his janitorial employment and Leroy had often gone to work drunk. Neither was ever fired, due to the curse resetting events all the time, but both had decided to take Charming and Emma's offer to work various patrol and security duties for the Sheriff's department. It was much closer to their duties as the Royal Guard, which they, especially Leroy missed. And Happy had decided to join them in this, having quit his job working at the hardware store. The owner was very understanding and had already found a couple part time people to replace him.

So when Leroy had dragged them and the other four reluctant dwarves to the town line on what he deemed "Royal Guard duty" four of them were a bit miffed.

"Look Grumpy...that's great if you've found a more suitable career, because Gods knows you were a sucky janitor, but I actually like being a doctor," Doc complained.

"Watch it four eyes…" he grumbled at the comment about him being a sucky janitor.

"He's got a point, Grumpy," Sneezy agreed. Grumpy growled and turned to them.

"Look...if you want to keep your cushy little curse jobs, fine. But I was cursed to be an idiot drunk and now that all that's over, it's up to us to protect this town, just like we protected the Kingdom. And we gotta know if there is still danger at the town line!" Grumpy shouted.

"Then you step over the town line," Bashful said, without meeting his eye, while Dopey used his sign language to speak.

"Yeah...good question. Did Charming ask us to do this?" Happy asked.

"No...but he'll thank us when we can report what danger, if any, the town line still poses," Grumpy reasoned.

"Or Snow will scold you about what a terrible idea this is," Doc retorted.

"Stop your complaining and draw straws," Leroy ordered, as they all did so with Sneezy ending up with the short one.

"You know, I like it here. I don't *achoo* really care if we can leave," the allergic dwarf stammered. But he wouldn't have time to protest further, as Grumpy shoved him over the town line.

"Well Snotty?" Grumpy asked, as it seemed nothing bad had happened to him. Until suddenly a blue wave of magic rippled through him and he convulsed slightly.

"Sneezy?" Doc asked and a look of confusion passed over the dark haired dwarf's face.

"What am I doing out here with you guys?" he asked.

"Uh...we're your brothers and we came out here together," Bashful replied.

"Brothers? You guys aren't my brothers," he refuted.

"Uh oh…" Happy fretted.

"What's your name?" Grumpy asked. The other man looked at him like he had three heads.

"Wow, are you that drunk, Leroy? I'm Tom Clark. You're in my store buying liquor all the time," Tom reminded.

"Crap...his real memories are gone," Doc said.

"He's his cursed self again," Sleepy yawned.

"We better go tell Snow and Charming," Grumpy said gravely.

~*~

To say Jefferson was freaking out was an understatement. Persephone had been tempted to magically sedate him to keep him from going completely mad, but she held that urge back. She'd only do something that drastic if he gave her no other choice.

"I know it's hard, but you need to calm down. Deep breaths...come on, she's not gone," David surmised.

"How do you know?!" Jefferson cried.

"Because she does love Grace. Surely she wouldn't do anything to endanger her," Emma reasoned.

"Desperation makes people do outlandish things," Persephone warned.

"She's right and the dog hasn't led us to the diner, where most people are going to get rooms. This is the way to the town line and you all know it!" Jefferson cried.

"We don't even know if we can cross the town line yet. We need to hurry if that's really where she's going," David said, as they started to run. They could have brought a vehicle, but Wilby searched better on foot.

"Terrible news!" Grumpy cried, as they saw the dwarves running toward them.

"What's going on Leroy?" Charming asked.

"It's the town line...tell them who you are!" the angry dwarf snapped, as he grabbed Sneezy's arm.

"I told you for the hundredth time, Leroy! My name is Tom Clark and I run the Dark Star Pharmacy," he said in exasperation.

"Grumpy had the brilliant idea to test the town line by pushing one of us over it," Doc said, emphasizing sarcasm on the word brilliant.

"Sneezy *yawn* drew the short straw," Sleepy added.

"So Grumpy pushed him over and now he thinks he's his cursed self again," Bashful said, barely making eye contact.

"Grumpy!" Snow scolded.

"We're the Royal Guard, sister. Someone has to do this stuff," he responded gruffly.

"Not without checking with us first," Charming said sternly.

"Oh Gods...if she steps over the line, Grace will lose her memories again!" Jefferson said, nearly panicking. Wilby started to bark and they quickly followed him.

~*~

Grace watched the forest zoom by them, as her Mrs. Larson drove away from town. When she had told Grace this morning that they were leaving Fred, she was glad. She had avoided her curse father as much as possible during those years. Fortunately, he had avoided her as well. Amy Larson had been a good mother though, despite being married to a jobless drunk. Amy had supported them well enough, working in the Tailor shop as a seamstress. But when she said they were leaving, Grace had assumed they were going to Granny's to get a room. The ten-year-old had already asked about her papa and finding him. But Amy had gotten strangely quiet and started driving out of town.

"Mom...where are we going?" Grace asked.

"It's going to be okay, Paige. Everything is going to be fine," Amy replied.

"Mom...stop! I don't want to leave Storybrooke!" Grace cried. Amy felt her hands tingling and she looked nervously. Once the curse broke, she had been relieved when she did not revert to the cursed form that had been inflicted upon her long ago in her home city of Lydia many centuries ago. But then magic had returned and the tingling in her limbs was unmistakable. Only in a place without magic could she retain her true human form. But as her hands became bipeds, she knew she wasn't going to make it. Grace screamed, as the car swerved and crashed into a tree.

~*~

The climb up the beanstalk had been grueling, but Hook finally made it and had ventured into the giant's home. That, of course, was where it had gotten tricky. The lone remaining giant had almost immediately sniffed him out and the ground thundered beneath him, as the angry giant stormed around, trying to find him in his hiding place. Hook spied a looking glass on the other side of the room, but actually reaching it was a risky venture at best.

"Bloody hell...the things I do in pursuit of that damned crocodile," he complained, as he took a deep breath and darted out from behind the debris he was hiding behind. He hurried toward the looking glass and the giant roared angrily, as he spotted the tiny speck that had invaded his home. Humans...how he hated them. They invaded his home like it belonged to them and took what didn't belong to them. Humans had killed his family and now they were here again to take the treasures that were his legacy. He would show them no mercy.

Hook tossed the magic potion from the vial onto the looking glass, just before the giant plucked him up and began squeezing him in his fist.

Cora walked through the looking glass now that it was enchanted and waved her hand, using her magic to immobilize the giant. His grip loosened, leaving the Captain to fall unceremoniously to the ground with a thud.

"Good work Captain...the compass?" she asked.

"I've been a little busy staying alive to find it. But even if we get the compass, it does us no good without a bean or portal," he reminded. She smirked.

"Yes...it seems all the beans are gone," she said, as she used her magic to shrink the giant to a human size. He glared murderously at her, as she reached into his pocket and found what she was looking for.

"This will be our ticket, Captain," she said.

"This bean is dried up and useless," Hook shot back.

"You have a knack for the obvious. I know of a place where things that are dead can be renewed with life. It's time for you to get your ship ready," Cora said, as a pair of manacles appeared on the giant's wrists.

"We're bringing this with us?" Hook asked. She smirked.

"He can grow more beans. That may be useful," she surmised.

"I will never grow more beans for humans," he spat. She chuckled in amusement.

"It's funny that you think you have a choice in any of this," she retorted, as the three of them disappeared in a puff of magenta smoke.

~*~

As they neared the town line, Wilby barked and made a beeline for the car that was smashed into a nearby tree.

"Gods...Grace!" Jefferson cried, as he rushed toward the vehicle. He opened the door to the backseat and got her unbuckled, before lifting her out.

"Is she okay?" Snow cried, as Jefferson cradled his child.

"I...I don't know," the Hatter cried, as his grief threatened to overtake him.

"Papa…" Grace moaned, as she looked up at him with bleary eyes. They all let out of breath of relief and started to look her over.

"I think she's just dazed. I'm sure Doc would be happy to look her over if you'd rather him than Whale," Persephone said. Jefferson nodded gratefully.

"Now we just have to find out where Mrs. Larson is...or whoever she is," Emma added, as she started looking around the car.

"I missed you Papa," Grace said. He smiled.

"I missed you too, Grace," he replied, as the little girl's eyes widened.

"But I think something was wrong with Mom…" she whimpered. Jefferson frowned and looked to the Charmings.

"Holy crap…" Emma cried.

"What is it, Em?" David asked, as he trekked over to her side and saw the huge spider she was seeing on the car.

"That spider is massive," she mentioned, as she picked up a stick.

"Wait Emma...I think I know who Mrs. Larson was before the curse," Persephone said, halting her, as she approached. She poured her lavender colored magic into the spider and they watched it take the form of a human, revealing Amy Larson.

"Whoa…" Emma said in astonishment.

"Hello Arachne," Persephone greeted gently.

"How...how do you know me by that name?" she questioned suspiciously.

"I remember when Athena cursed you in her anger. I'm Persephone," she introduced herself. The woman looked at her skeptically.

"Why would you undo Athena's spell?" she questioned suspiciously. But the dark haired woman only smiled kindly.

"Athena has mellowed much over the last few centuries and I think you've been punished enough. I assume that's why you found your way to Misthaven?" Persephone questioned. The woman relaxed slightly.

"I heard of an Evil Queen that planned to curse several Kingdoms in the realm of Misthaven from the other creatures. They said it would take everyone, even the animals to a far off land with no magic. I knew that without magic, Athena's curse wouldn't affect me anymore and I'd be human again," Amy explained.

"Then magic returned and your curse returned," Snow surmised. The woman nodded and looked at the Hatter, who held her daughter.

"I know the curse ripped many people away from those they loved...but it gave me everything," she said, gazing longingly at Grace.

"I still love you Mom...but I love my Papa too…" she said uncertainly. Jefferson set her on her feet and then knelt down so he was eye level with her.

"I don't ever want to be apart for you again, Grace. But I also want you to be happy," he said, as he looked at the woman.

"I...I won't keep you from seeing her. My house has many guest rooms. Maybe you could stay in one of them...I think Grace would like that," he offered. The woman looked surprised, but touched. She looked at Grace and then nodded with a smile.

"I think that's an arraignment I can live with," she agreed. Grace beamed and hugged Amy tightly.

"I am sorry about the restraining order...I didn't know you were her father obviously. And the Mayor was very persuasive," Amy apologized. Jefferson nodded.

"I know it wasn't really your fault. It was Regina...as usual," he said, bitterly at the last part. Snow smiled at David and he hugged her close. Emma smiled too and they hugged her between them.

"Do you think Regina and I can do that?" Emma asked her parents.

"I mean...he loves us both, despite what she's done. How can I tell him he can't see her?" she asked. Snow and David exchanged a glance.

"Despite what she's done...I think she really does love Henry. If he wants to see her, we should let him. Obviously it should be supervised at first…" Snow said.

"You can't be serious…" Jefferson interjected.

"If Henry wants to see her, how can we deny him? This situation is just like that," Snow argued.

"No...it's not! This is Regina we're talking about! Do you really think she'll play fairly?!" he shouted.

"Hey...calm down," David said, as he stepped between them.

"I know what she's done...better than anyone. But I also know the woman she was before she lost Daniel and slipped into darkness. And if anyone can help her become that woman again...the good person I knew, it's Henry," Snow surmised.

"I agree with you, Mom. It's just comes with a lot of ifs and risks," Emma added.

"I know and I don't know how we let Henry see her and keep her in check at the same time, but it's something we need to think about," Snow said.

"And we will. For now, with all the anger in town, I think we should keep her where she is. And when the time comes to deal with her long term situation comes, I think I may have a few ideas," Persephone agreed, as Emma checked her watch.

"Henry will be getting out of school soon," she mentioned and with that, they began trekking back to town. There was still a lot of unrest and many things to figure out.


	43. Who Are We

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 43: Who We Are

Belle leafed through the spell book idly, as Rumple shoved the one he was reading away.

"Any luck?" she asked tentatively. He sighed irritably.

"In my haste to get to this world, I failed to anticipate how vast it is. It's virtually a needle in a haystack. The only way to even pinpoint a vague location is blood magic," he replied.

"You couldn't have known. But Emma is really good at finding people," she assured, as the shop door chimed.

"I am...but we might have another problem," the blonde interjected, as she entered the shop with her parents in tow.

"What's happened?" Belle asked.

"Grumpy, in his infinite wisdom decided to push Sneezy over the town line like a guinea pig," Snow replied.

"And now he thinks he's Tom Clark again," David added.

"I don't know what that means for me since I wasn't cursed, but for everyone else, stepping over the town line means you lose your real memories again," Emma clarified. Rumple felt his frustration boil over at that point and he took his cane, smashing the glass on the case before them.

"Rumple!" Belle scolded, as the Charmings backed away slightly.

"How am I ever going to find my son! Even if I get past the town line, I still don't know where to look," he growled.

"Losing your temper isn't going to solve any of our problems," Persephone chided.

"Don't lecture me…" he snapped to the Goddess.

"Stop...fighting isn't going to get us anywhere," Snow admonished.

"She's right...we both know that with a little blood magic, we can pinpoint your son's general location," Persephone reminded.

"Do you really think I haven't thought of that?" he spat.

"The problem with that is I don't exactly have the device I need to utilize that particular spell," he reminded.

"You mean the blank globe that's in Cora's possession," she surmised.

"The very one. And even if she was here, I'd rather not make any deals with the likes of her," he shot back.

"Making a deal with Cora is the same as making a deal with Hades. I would hope you wouldn't be that foolish," Persephone warned.

"You're one to talk. We both know that we are the same. We will do anything for our children. Fortunately, Cora is isn't here...yet," he said, muttering the last part.

"Then we find a different way to use the blood magic locating spell without the globe. I have to contact Athena anyway and can consult her. She has the oldest library in existence in her temple. If there is another way, she'll know," Persephone replied. He gave a curt nod of acceptance.

"In the meantime, we can work to solve the problem with the town line. You need to be able to cross it. Emma, Henry and I should be able to cross without consequence. But I need Snow and David to be able to cross it as well," she said.

"Why?" Snow asked. Persephone looked at her daughter.

"Because in the event that Hades does find his way here or Cora for that matter, I'll be sending the two of you over the town line with Emma and Henry," she stated, as she glanced at Rumple.

"You may want to make enough potion for Belle to cross as well," she added.

"I don't know if I can even make enough for one and you want me to make enough for at least four?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever ingredients you are short on, I'm sure I can get my hands on. I know you...you can do it if you want to," she replied.

"Wait...can we back up to the part where you're sending us across the town line?" Snow asked.

"Yeah...I'm still wondering about that too," David added, as he put his hands on Snow's shoulders. Persephone sighed.

"Sweetheart...if Hades comes for me, then I want you no where near him. He'll hurt the people I love most to hurt me. And if Cora comes...well, she's perhaps even more dangerous to you than Hades," she responded.

"Why?" Snow asked.

"It's a very long story and some of it won't be easy for you to hear. Can you please just trust me for on this?" she requested.

"I can trust you, but Charming and I won't run and leave our people behind at Cora or Hades' mercy," Snow refused.

"Sweetheart…" Persephone started to protest.

"No...I've done the whole running away thing. It never works. I just didn't learn that until I met Charming. This is my home and I will fight for it," Snow said firmly.

"You are so brave...but there are things at play here that you must understand. Cora may be focused on power, but she will not stop until she destroys you. You have to trust me on this," Persephone pleaded.

"Why? Is it because I stand in Regina's way of the throne?" she asked.

"Partially, but there is so much more to it than that," she replied.

"Then tell me! Whatever you don't want me to hear...I need to!" Snow cried, as David reached for her.

"And you will. But if Cora or Hades come...then you're all going over the town line. This is not negotiable," Persephone said sternly.

"The hell it's not," Snow spat, as she stormed out.

"Snow!" David called, as he hurried after her and tossed an assuring look to Emma that he'd get her. Persephone sighed and started after them, but Emma stopped her.

"I should go after her," the raven haired Goddess said.

"And you will...but let my Dad talk to her first. If there is one thing I know about my parents, it's that my Mom will open up to him and usually only him when it comes to stuff like this," Emma replied. Persephone nodded gently.

"Then perhaps we should research a way to not only leave town, but find Baelfire," Persephone said, as she magicked a large tome into her hand.

"What is that?" Emma asked, looking at the massive book.

"Every plant, herb, flora, and even weed to have ever existed. It is my mother's and she painstakingly cataloged every aspect of flora and grain related items, including spells and ingredients," she said.

"That's amazing…" Belle said, eager to look through such a book.

"Do you really think the answers to our problems can be answered with flowers?" Rumple asked skeptically.

"You know better than any that there are many ways to perform a spell or magical act. This is my way. Yours would involve making a deal with Cora for that locator globe," she retorted, as she waved her hand and magically separated the book into parts.

"Happy reading," she told them, as they began to look through the pages.

~*~

"Snow...Snow slow down…" David called, as he ran after her and stopped her on the corner. She turned to him and he could see that everything was starting to take its toll on her.

"She wants us to run…" she said.

"She's just trying to protect us," he replied.

"So you agree with her?" she accused.

"No...but I get it. I'm not exactly crazy about our child joining a fight that includes Cora and Hades himself," he retorted. Her shoulders slumped slightly.

"If we're not running...we're fighting," she said, as she sniffed.

"I'm so tired of running and fighting and wondering not if, but when I'm going to lose you and everyone I love," she added, as she finally broke down in tears. He was ready for this and swept her into his arms, folding her tightly against his chest. Sobs racked her shoulders and he pressed a kiss to her hair. As she pulled back, he gently brushed her tears away and kissed her tenderly.

"I know you're tired of fighting and I wish I could promise that we were done. But I can promise you that you are not going to lose me. You're holding on way too tightly for that," he promised. She sniffed again and relished another kiss, this one much deeper and full of passion that she felt all the way to her toes. He was always very good at that, kissing away her troubles and worries. They were still there, but he always made everything seem okay. However, he also knew something was still gnawing at her.

"How about we get you a hot cocoa and then you tell me what's really bothering you?" he asked. She nodded and they walked with her hand hooked on his elbow. He tucked her close to his side and after they got a couple of cocoas with cinnamon at the diner, they trekked in silence to the Toll Bridge. Snow enjoyed being near the woods again and found the babbling of the creek below them soothing. But the flora and fauna also reminded her of her recently discovered origins.

"Who am I, Charming?" she asked suddenly, looking up at him with searching eyes. He looked confused for a moment.

"What?" he asked.

"Who is Snow White? Who is she really? Because she...I'm not what people think I am," she answered.

"Hey...I know exactly who you are. You're my wife, in both worlds. You're the love of my life, the mother of my child…" he told her.

"And yet those are the only things I'm sure of anymore. I mean, just a day ago, at least in the dreamscape, I was Snow White, a Princess of Misthaven. Daughter of King Leopold and Queen Eva...but I'm actually none of those things," she said, feeling a bit lost.

"Hey...you are still those things. You're still a Princess and they may not be your parents biologically, but they still raised you. And like I said, you're my wife and the mother of our daughter. You're also a hero and the true Queen of two Kingdoms," he protested.

"But I'm not...I'm the daughter of a Prince that no one but my real mother has any memory of. I'm actually niece of Queen Eva and the step-daughter of an Evil Queen," she said, as she turned away and then laughed bitterly.

"The only thing I'm Princess of is the Underworld," she added and then her face crumpled into a frown.

"I don't think I want to be Princess of the Underworld," she whimpered.

"You don't have to be anything you don't want to be," he insisted.

He cupped her beautiful face in his hands and gazed lovingly at her.

"You are whoever you want to be, my darling. I know this can't be easy...finding out all these things about your life that you didn't know. But you're still my Snow. That hasn't changed and it won't," he said, as he kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes, relishing his lips against her skin.

"You are still the woman I fell in love with. I didn't fall in love with you, because of who or what you supposedly were. I fell in love with you, because of the amazing person you are. That hasn't changed, just because some other things have," he confessed to her. She gazed up at him with teary eyes and hugged him tightly. He held her tightly for several long moments, simply running a soothing hand along her back.

"You always know what to say and how to make me feel better," she said fondly, as she pulled back to look up at him. He smiled.

"I'm glad...because you and Emma and Henry are the most important people in my life. And when you're hurting, I want to be able to do everything I can to stop the hurting if I can," he said.

"And if I can't...then know that I'll always be here to hold you and make you feel safe," he promised. She melted against him again and kissed him passionately.

"Now, let's go find our daughter and our grandson. I think a quiet evening together is exactly what this family needs," he said. She nodded, as they started back.

"I need to apologize to my mother too. I shouldn't have snapped at her," she lamented.

"I'm sure she understands…" he assured, as they trekked back toward town, arms around each other.

~*~

Little did either of them know, their entire conversation had a witness. The moment she arrived in town, Zelena had been content to lurk in the shadows. Truthfully, if she wanted to, she could wreck havoc and wipe most of them out with the flick of a wrist. But there was the challenge of Rumpelstiltskin and Persephone to consider. While she was confident she could match them both with her magic, it was too risky if they teamed up against her.

She was aware of her sister's current predicament as well. They had locked her up for casting the curse, which was almost too easy for Zelena. She wanted her sister to pay. She wanted a grand stage for all to witness her ultimate demise. She wanted an audience to see how superior she was compared to Regina; for Rumple to see how wrong he was to pick evil over wicked to cast his precious curse.

And then there was her ultimate goal of the time travel spell to consider. She had never been so close, yet so far in bringing it to fruition. The ingredients were before her, except the most important one, which did not yet exist. But she smirked, as she observed the two lovesick idiots embrace and kiss with barely restrained passion.

It would have been so much easier if just any baby would do for her spell, but just any would mean certain failure right out of the gate. No, she needed a product of true love and not just any true love. It was this true love that had broken the curse, or at least the product of this true love. Rumple had chosen correctly when it came to these two at least and Zelena knew it had to be another product of this true love for her spell to truly succeed.

When she had what she wanted, her sister wouldn't just be defeated. She would cease to exist. At one time, she thought the same would hold true with Snow White. But now she knew differently. Even if she made her changes and Leopold married Cora, Snow White would still exist. But that was of little consequence, for Zelena planned to hunt the Princess much as her sister had done. Only she planned to succeed in making sure the Princess met a very grim fate, along with her entire family. For now though, as much as she hated it, she needed these two alive.

That meant she would need to blend in and keep her presence concealed. Rumpelstiltskin nor Persephone could see her. The former would fry her on the spot and the latter would probably help him. Integrating herself into this small town with those two wouldn't be easy, but it was possible. The time would come, she was sure of it, and when it did, she would rip Snow White's second child away and finally get everything that she so richly deserved.

~*~

There was a poof of black smoke, as Persephone added the final herb to the concoction and then sniffed it.

"Is that it?" Belle asked, as the Goddess pulled the foul smelling liquid away from her nose and poofed it away.

"No...I'm afraid we'll need to start over," she said in frustration.

"I told you that was too much lotus pollen," Rumple warned.

"Or it could have been the crushed adder's stone. I told you adder's bane would be better," she argued back, as the Emma returned to the shop with Henry in tow.

"Or maybe it's too many cooks in the kitchen," Emma commented. The two magic wielders looked at her questioningly and Belle hid a smirk.

"Or not...what do I know," Emma muttered, as Henry peered up over the counter.

"So this potion is going to let us all leave to go find your son?" he asked curiously.

"I wasn't planning on an audience, but yes I suppose so. But it has to work first and then we have to find a location. There is still a lot of work to be done. But that reminds me," Rumple said, as he turned away and opened a box on the back counter. He opened a velvet pouch and took out of chain with a peculiar pendant on the end of it.

"This is for you," he said, as he put it around the boy's neck.

"Really?" he asked with wide eyes.

"What does it do?" he asked curiously.

"Until we can find a way to keep you from going to the red room, this will help protect you. It will keep the flames at bay," Gold replied.

"What's the price?" Emma asked. Gold glanced at Belle, who gave him a pointed look.

"For Henry, this one is on the house," he relented.

"Thank you," Emma said, as her parents returned to the shop, hand in hand, with her mother looking much more at ease.

"Are you okay?" Persephone asked her daughter. She nodded.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. This is just...it's a lot. Everything I thought I knew about myself...and half of it turns out to be wrong," Snow confessed. Persephone hugged her.

"I know snowdrop...this is never what I wanted," she said, as she put her hands on either side of Snow's face.

"But I ask that you trust me...I just got you. I can't lose you again," the Goddess confessed.

"I understand that...believe me," Snow said, as she glanced at Emma and David.

"But I also can't run away...I may not be exactly who I thought I was, but they're still my people," she added. Persephone pursed her lips, but didn't say anything more. She wasn't completely sure about her daughter's loyalty to some of the people in this town. She had made great sacrifices for them and the Goddess was quite sure that some of them wouldn't have been willing to do the same for her. Geppetto and Blue came to mind, but she remained silent with her opinions for now.

"We'll figure it out," she assured instead.

"For now, we should keep researching," she added, as they went back to looking through the ancient texts and Henry looked bored already. Charming had anticipated this earlier and had made a stop at the toy store.

"Hey kid...I picked up something today," he said, as he revealed the ends of two wooden swords that were sticking out of bag.

"Really?" he asked, as his eyes lit up in wonder.

"You're the grandson of a Prince. It's only fitting that we start your training as Knight," he said, as he followed the boy outside. Emma gave him a grateful smile, as they left and then went back to helping with the reading.

~*~

David took the swords out and dramatically presented the faux weapon to his grandson. Henry was all smiles, as they began to fence and play fight. Across the street, unbeknownst to them, George watched James' twin play with his grandson, a boy that should have never existed. If he had gotten his way, David would have never sired any children with his beloved Snow White. But his curse he had placed on her had been lifted and they had their precious daughter. And now that the curse was broken, that disgrace had everything he wanted again. A family...family that George was more determined than ever to destroy.

But he was no fool. The news about the presence of the Goddess Persephone in their town had spread like wildfire. And the fact that she was Snow White's biological mother had come as quite a shock to most. It presented an obstacle for him, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from making David pay. He had taken everything from George and the former King was determined to do the same to him…

~*~

As they arrived at this supposed lake that was said to have restorative powers, Hook was immediately disappointed when it appeared the lake had dried up.

"Bloody hell...it's gone," he uttered.

"What now?" he asked irritably.

"Such little faith in my you have, Captain," Cora cooed, as she made a circular motion with her finger. The ground broke apart and water spouted up from underground, quickly filling the lake again. Hook dipped the bean in water and watched it go from dried up and dead to a clear color again. Cora took the bean from him and looked at it with a pleased smile.

"Time to get your ship ready for travel, Captain. We're going to a Land Without Magic," she stated.

~*~

David ruffled Henry's hair and hugged him to his side, as they finished their sparring game, just as Emma, Persephone, and Snow came out of Gold's shop.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"Today was a bust, but we think we know where we went wrong. We're going to try again tomorrow," Persephone said.

"That's only part of the problem too. His son could be anywhere in the country," Snow mentioned, as she slipped her arms around her husband's waist.

"Or the world for that matter," Emma added, as they started walking down the street.

"Don't worry...I'll find a way. I found my child and we will help Rumple find his," Persephone assured, as she smiled at Snow.

As they entered the diner, Henry proceeded to climb up to the counter and tell Granny and Red all about his new sword. Emma smiled at her father.

"Thanks for spending time with him. He's on cloud nine," she said.

"Are you kidding? I loved it. I had just as much fun as he did, if not more," he replied, as he put his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"We love him, Emma, as much as we love you," David promised, as they found a booth to sit in. The diner was fairly busy, with Whale nursing a drink at the bar and still sporting a black eye. Jefferson and Grace would be along shortly to join them and likely the dwarves as well. But to their surprise, Abigail and Frederick approached their table with warm smiles.

"You found each other," Snow said. Abigail smiled.

"We did and I suppose that's thanks to you, Emma. It's wonderful to finally meet you, as myself, that is," Abigail replied.

"Likewise," Emma said, a bit shyly.

"Would you like to join us?" David asked.

"No...we've finished and I think we're going to take a walk. We just wanted to say hi and thank you," Frederick replied. They nodded.

"But we'd love to get together soon," Abigail added.

"Absolutely," Snow agreed.

"Oh and Snow...I'm sorry for those nasty things I said to you during the curse," Abigail apologized. But Snow shook her head.

"I know that wasn't the real you and I know Regina put ideas about me in your head. It's forgotten," she assured. Abigail smiled and squeezed her hand, before they quietly made their way out.

"Another couple reunited it would seem," Persephone said fondly, looking at her daughter and son-in-law. Snow wholeheartedly agreed and rested her head on Charming's shoulder. She knew that this peaceful lull probably wouldn't last and she knew they still had many things to discuss and figure out. But being together with her family like this was everything. And she was going to do everything possible to retain this happiness...


	44. Broken Promise

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 44: Broken Promise

Later that evening, after they enjoyed dinner together at Granny's, the newly joined and reunited Charming family made their way to the Sheriff's station with a takeout bag.

"Henry…" Regina called, as she rushed to the bars and looked upon him with a teary gaze.

"We brought you dinner and dessert," he said, as he handed her the bag through the bars.

"Thank you," she said, as she sat down, while Henry pulled up a chair outside her cell.

"You won't even let me come out to eat with him?" Regina snapped, as she glared at Emma and her parents.

"It's up the kid," the blonde replied. The boy looked at her and cocked his head to the side slightly. Regina took a sharp breath at that, as she noticed Snow gazing at her with a very similar expression and the same head tilt. She wondered how she hadn't seen the resemblance before and Persephone's words seared in her mind. She hated the comparison though. Henry and Snow being so alike wasn't something she liked to entertain...at all. But they were. In many ways, Snow was still that little girl she had rescued so long ago and that she had loved. Then that love had died for a very long time...until Henry came along and she started to learn to love again. But it hadn't been enough to allow her to give up her revenge and even now, she wasn't sure she could let it go.

"You won't hurt them?" Henry asked her with scrutiny and that was heartbreaking. She swallowed thickly. Even if she tried to use her magic, she knew Persephone would quash any attempt. But at this point, even trying to hurt his biological family would mean losing Henry forever.

"I won't," she replied.

"You promise?" he asked again, still scared, not for himself, but for them.

"I promise," she replied and she was determined to keep it. Henry looked up at Emma and the Sheriff unlocked the cell, allowing Regina out and to sit with Henry on the nearby couch. They allowed them some time together, as Emma turned to her parents.

"You okay, Princess?" David asked. She smiled for their benefit and nodded, though they could see through it all. Emma was angry, not at them, but at the situation. But she was trying, for Henry's sake. Perhaps if she hadn't been raised by her parents in the dreamscape, she'd be a lot less angry at Regina. It was not lost on Snow and David that her anger could have easily been at them if she hadn't known them and all the reasons why everything had happened as it did. But Emma's perspective was still very much from that of a daughter that had been forcibly kept away from her parents, because of one woman's anger at her mother. Perhaps if her perspective had been from an orphan, she'd be much more sympathetic to Regina, but she couldn't be. Emma may have been twenty-eight, but she very much needed her parents and all they had been cheated out of was still fresh wounds. Especially when it came to Henry. Not for the first time, Emma realized more than ever that she would have never given him up if she had her parents there. Even if she had still messed up as badly as she did and had him in prison, she knew they would have been there for her. She knew they would have taken Henry for her until she had been released and she was struggling deeply with these emotions. She wasn't unaware that she wasn't the most emotionally mature person in the world or that she didn't have serious trust issues. She wanted to trust Regina for Henry's sake and knew her mother still held onto her hope that the woman she once knew was still inside her. Her father supported her mother, but she knew he always had a hand on his sword in ready for the very real and possible betrayal that could happen. Regina had a very long way to go before Emma could trust her. They would try for Henry. But she hoped that he didn't end up getting his heart broken if Regina proved unable to walk the long, jagged path to redemption. Her inner thoughts were interrupted by Regina's slightly raised voice.

"What's this?" Regina asked her son curiously, as she touched the pendant around his neck.

"Mr. Gold gave it to me. It's to protect me in the fire room," Henry replied.

"Fire room?" Regina asked, as her tone changed and her eyes darted to them like an animal ready to pounce.

"Yeah...the fire room. Apparently, there's a side effect to the sleeping curse. Mom knew what it was, because she spent months and months of nightmares inside a burning room, thanks to your sleeping curse," Emma informed her.

"And Henry is going to this place now?" Regina asked.

"Gold gave him the necklace to keep the flames at bay until we figure out a way to get to him from the dreamscape," David answered.

"From the dreamscape?" Regina asked.

"Yes...it appears that unprecedentedly, Henry is now in the same realm in his dreams that they are. Only they are separated by a barrier. I am trying to figure out a way for them to get through," Persephone added.

"Well, you need to try harder," Regina snapped.

"Hey...this is your fault! You're the reason he's in this situation," Emma snapped back.

"He wouldn't be if you had just eaten the damn turnover in the first place," Regina hissed back.

"Hey…" David called, as he advanced and Regina used a magical push to fling him against the wall. Snow cried out and rushed to him, as magical vines slowly wrapped around his neck and torso.

"Stop it!" Snow pleaded, as he started to choke.

"Release him now, Regina…" Persephone demanded.

"Mom please...you promised! You promised not to hurt them!" Henry pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears. All Regina could think about in that moment was making Snow pay.

"Regina please...let him go! Punish me if you need to, but not him," the raven haired beauty begged.

"Let him go!" Emma cried.

"Mom please...don't hurt him! Please!" Henry pleaded, as he finally broke through and a flash of regret passed over Regina's features, as she let go and the vines disappeared. David gasped for air and fell to the floor, as Snow crashed to her knees beside him and she took him in her arms. Once she determined he was breathing, she hugged him and pressed his head against her chest, as she cried and rested her head atop his.

"Henry…" Regina breathed, as she reached for him. But he backed away from her, which was like a knife to the heart. But even she knew it was a pain she probably deserved in that moment.

"You promised not to hurt them…" he sniffed.

"Henry...I'm sorry…" she pleaded.

"No...you lied again. And you're only sorry because I'm mad at you for it! Not because you care about them!" he cried, as Emma put her hands on his shoulders.

"I wanna go home," he demanded, as he backed away further from her. Emma prodded him over to Snow and Charming, as they led him out and Emma put Regina back in her cell.

"You've turned him against me," the former Queen accused.

"Oh no, you've done that yourself, Your Majesty," Emma retorted.

"He wanted to come here tonight to see you. He wanted to believe you wouldn't hurt people anymore and I wanted to believe it too, for his sake and for the sake of everyone. But you couldn't resist...you couldn't resist the temptation to cause my mother more pain!" Emma cried.

"She deserves it! She ruined my life!" Regina protested.

"No...your own mother started that! And yeah, Rumple had a hand in it too, but you finished ruining your life when you chose to hurt my parents every chance you got. It's always about your pain. Imagine my parent's pain when all they could do was hold their child after I came to them crying in her dreams, because I didn't understand why they couldn't be there," Emma said, as tears filled her eyes. But she blinked them back.

"I didn't understand why all the other kids and even the adults laughed at me when I told them I saw my parents in my dreams and who they were. They wanted to force pills down me and called me delusional! And my parents were helpless to stop any of it!" Emma growled.

"So next time you think they haven't suffered enough...think again. And I won't let you hurt them again," Emma hissed, as she scoffed.

"Even after all this, my Mother still believed you could change. But now? I think even she's questioning it so if you're really serious about changing for Henry, then you're going to have to prove it. It's time for you to decide what's more important: Henry or your revenge. Good night, Your Majesty," Emma spat, as she stormed out, as Persephone lingered.

"What?" the former Queen growled.

"Please make the right choice, Regina. I do not want to do what you may force me to do if you try to hurt my family again," Persephone stated, leaving her with that final plea, as she too left to follow her family.

~*~

Belle watched him close out the register and shut everything down, as she waited patiently for him by the door.

"Am I that interesting?" Gold teased, as he looked back at her. She smiled.

"You are...you like your shop. I mean, I thought maybe this was just a place you had for appearances or to put all your magical items at first," she mentioned.

"In many ways, it is. But I do admit, I enjoy this kind of business. Pawn brokering is a business of making deals all day long and I guess I'll always enjoy that," he admitted.

"This place...this world is definitely different. But there is a sense of freedom that just didn't exist in our world," she mentioned. He nodded.

"Then you understand my desire to not go back. This is truly a land you can be anything you want to be. It was the basis of its appeal to Regina when she cast the curse for me too," he said.

"And you're wondering what Baelfire has become...how he has been living in this land," she surmised.

"Letting him go was my biggest regret...and I have a lot of them," he said, as she put her hands in his. The dinging of the shop bell interrupted them though, as Moe French walked into the shop.

"We're closed," Gold growled, as the awakened eyes of Lord Maurice stared at them.

"Belle…" he uttered. But she didn't look very happy to see him at all.

"Father…" she greeted stiffly.

"Belle...please, you need to come home with me. You need to get away from this monster!" he cried.

"Are we really going to have to go over this again?" Gold commented.

"You were his prisoner, Belle!" Maurice argued.

"Was being the operative word. But I'm with him now, because I want to be. You have to accept that," she insisted.

"I will accept nothing of the sort...you're my daughter," he retorted.

"In our land, I left your castle to have control of my own destiny and in this land, that's even easier. It's my life and I get to decide what I want to do with it," Belle argued.

"But him? Do you know the things he's done?" Maurice asked.

"I'm well aware...but I'm also aware of the things you've done. You won't control my life or marry me off to some suitor. I wouldn't let you do it back in the Enchanted Forest and you won't do it here," she responded.

"So...that's it? You've chosen him over your own father," Moe spat.

"No...I've chosen me and you are more than welcome to be a part of my life. But you have to accept me as I am. And in this land, I am going to make my own path," she stated firmly.

"I am going to be with the man I love. But I am also going to find my own niche in this strange world. I am going to have friends and a life and a business," she implored.

"And you can have all that Belle...but not with him," Moe spat. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes...with him and anyone else I want. The question is, can you accept that?" she asked. Moe glared at Rumple.

"No...not as long as he is in your life," he spat.

"Then we have nothing else to talk about," she said, hiding her hurt at his rejection.

"You and your foolish friends are under the Dark One's spell. Can't you see that?" Moe protested.

"Oh, there is no spell, dearie. I know what I am and so do they. A beast. A monster, as you say. But I am not the only monster here right now," Rumple responded.

"How dare you…" Moe hissed, as he started toward the other man. Rumple's hand twitched, ready to summon magic if needed. But Belle stepped between them.

"Stop...we are not doing this. I am not some trophy for you to quarrel over," she protested. Rumple shrunk back, knowing that she was right and hated feeling like a possession. She then turned to her father.

"If you cannot accept what I've told you, then please leave," she said.

"For now...but I will make you see this man for what he is, Belle. I will make you see this beast," Moe spat.

"I have seen the beast inside him, thank you very much. But unlike you, there is more there than just a beast and I see that too. And no one will make me do anything," she said sternly. Moe shook his head with angry disappointment and stormed out. Gingerly, he reached out and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Let's go home," he suggested. She nodded and turned to him.

"It would appear my father hasn't changed a bit," she said sadly. He nodded.

"He hasn't...but if we're being fair, I'm not sure I have either," he reminded.

"You are trying to be the best version of yourself and I'm aware that it's not easy for you to resist your darker urges, but you have so far. My father won't even try to understand or be better. That's the difference," she said. He nodded, a bit wearily, for he knew how easy a slip could come. There would be many temptations in the future that he would have to face, but for now, they were together and he was willing to walk this difficult path for her.

~*~

The mood around the loft as they arrived home was a bit solemn. Both Snow and Henry were practically heartbroken at what had just occurred at the station. Emma was still angry and trying to hide it from Henry, while David was sad for them, but also a bit resolved to the fact that Regina might not be redeemable. Persephone wanted her to be, truly she did, but she was ready to do what needed to be done if Regina slipped again.

After Emma and Henry had gone upstairs for the night and Persephone had as well, David joined his wife in their makeshift bedroom. She was sitting on the bed with a pillow clutched to her chest and he sat down on the other side, after shedding his clothes and donning just a pair of flannel sleep pants. He rested against the headboard and looked over at her, as he gently caressed her ear and then let his hand slowly trail down the back of her neck. Snow closed her eyes, relishing his touch, but tonight it didn't bring just the comfort she needed. It brought a reminder of how many times she had come close to losing that touch. She had lost that touch, for twenty-eight years and she wasn't as naive as some thought. She knew there would be more times to fear losing it...losing him again. But the worst part was that she felt she was to blame for it. If he became a casualty in Regina's revenge driven path, which was already littered with bodies, then it would be her fault for not ending her when she had the chance. With those thoughts, her shoulders began to rack with sobs again and he pulled her back to him, spooning her against him, as he let her cry. He rested his head against the back of her neck and gently stroked his hand along her stomach, as she sobbed nearly uncontrollably.

"Please...please my darling, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," he promised. She started to calm and finally turned in his arms so that they were facing each other. He gently wiped her tears away and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I have to stop hoping for her…" she sniffed.

"Hope is never wrong," he reminded.

"No...it is. It's careless and naive when people get hurt...or worse and all because I'm too weak to let go of someone that I haven't seen a glimpse of since I was a child," she spat angrily at herself.

"Hey...no, the last thing you are is weak, Snow. In fact, you are the strongest person I know. It's easy to lose hope, but you never do. You never waver...you always believe, just like Henry," he reminded.

"I don't know if I can still believe in her," she admitted.

"That okay...you've given her far more chances than she probably deserves," he agreed.

"But Henry…" she said sadly. He nodded.

"I know...but it's still okay to have hope that maybe he's the one that can finally make a difference. That he can finally heal her heart," he replied. She sniffed.

"And if he can't?" she asked. He sighed.

"Then...we do what we must to protect our family and our people," he replied. Snow knew it was the easy path though, but she wasn't sure they could keep walking the difficult path when it came to Regina. At some point, Regina had to walk that difficult path with them and meet them halfway. And she was no longer sure her step-mother could do so.

"I just worry about you," he added and she looked up at him.

"Don't...because I won't lose you again," she said, as their eyes locked. He watched her in awe, as she then straddled his waist and let her hands caressed his bare chest and torso, marveling at the sculpted muscle. She marveled at the mix of hard and soft, as she always did with him.

"No one is ever going to take you from me again," she promised fiercely, as their lips crashed together and they gave in to the ever present passion between them…

~*~

Hermes walked through the town, observing how quaint it was. He could understand how the Evil Queen had quickly grown dissatisfied with this spot of a place as her ultimate happy ending. Having people blindly follow your orders and not question you wasn't really as fun as it sounded. Making them and forcing them to do so on the other hand was true power. Hermes craved that power that he had seen both Zeus and Hades wield and in looking around, he realized that this may be the exact place he might finally taste that power. Serving Zeus had led to him being nothing more than a glorified errand boy. But following Hades might truly give him the mantle of rule he deserved. He was not a fool. He knew that he could never usurp someone like Hades or even Zeus. But Hermes could have his own little Kingdom under Hades as a reward if the God of the dead managed to do the seemingly impossible and unseat his brother. But it all started with giving Hades access to this realm and that could only be done with the blood of someone who had been to the Underworld and then returned to the living realm. Storybrooke had only two souls that fit that description. Persephone would obliterate him the moment she saw him, even with the new glamor potion he had fashioned for himself. Disguised as a seemingly normal mortal, he could walk freely in this town. Even then, obtaining Persephone's blood would be nearly impossible. That left only the blood of Snow White. He knew the Princess was no pushover, but she did not have magic like he did. Persephone would soon regret nullifying her daughter's immortality when he succeeded in taking her. Then, once he had a sample of her blood, Charon would bring the King of the Underworld to Storybrooke and they would finally get everything they wanted. He knew the risks too. By now Zeus would have figured out he was gone and it wouldn't take him long to figure out that he had traded sides to Hades. If somehow they lost, he knew he'd be banished from Olympus for eternity. If he even survived. But it was worth the risks, for a New Order was a long time coming. Zeus had ruled long enough and it resulted in worlds like this one where they were but legends. Mortals scoffed at them as silly myths and legends now. But that would change under Hades...he would make an example of worlds like this one. He would restore the Gods to their glory of days past. And Hermes would have not only a front row seat to the dawning of a new era, he would have a hand in making it all happen...


	45. Kingdoms Come and Castles Fall

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 45: Kingdoms Come and Castles Fall

Snow giggled and then sighed dreamily, as her husband's ministrations drove her wild as usual. He was currently kissing her neck and nibbling at her ear, making her hot all over, as they cuddled beneath the bedclothes. Waking up to his amorous activities like this was nothing new, but it was something she'd never tire of.

"Charming…" she cooed, as his hands on her flesh left her wanting more. She gasped and mewled, as his hands had her writhing against him. She surrendered completely to him and then felt like she was flying.

After, they cuddled together, their flesh cooling, as they exchanged more passion filled kisses. Sometimes she had trouble describing how he made her feel. Right now, she felt sated and boneless in a way only he could make her feel. He made her feel so beautiful and Snow hadn't always felt that way. She had seen women that she thought were far more beautiful than she was, but his eyes never wandered. She was all he saw in any room.

As Mary, that had absolutely fascinated her and taken her aback at first. It just wasn't how men acted in her experience. She had seen other men look at her with possessive eyes like Whale and Damon; looks that made her shudder. She had seen other men observe her physicality in a passive manner as well and saw their heads turn away when Ruby had passed by, making her feel that she was obviously less beautiful than the waitress.

But then David came along and looked at Mary like she was the most beautiful woman in all the universe. Mary hadn't been used to that. But Snow was. Her husband had always looked at her with that same awe then and now.

As Mary, she had naturally sought a form of birth control at the hospital after she and David started dating. She had never been more grateful for the nurse practitioners they had at the hospital, for this was not an appointment she wanted to have with Whale in any capacity.

As Mary and David, she had seen to it that they were taking precaution. Now, as Snow and Charming, they had conversations about their future ahead of them. It was unspoken between them that they both wanted more children. It had always been their plan. Emma was only their first child and she had even questioned a few times over the years if she might have had siblings. They always assured her that if they had been able to raise her, then she would have definitely been a big sister. But now that their future was before them, they had yet to discuss it so she was naturally still taking her birth control.

As Mary, she had awkwardly explained condoms to David and he had used them on occasion. But Snow preferred it without them and would make monthly trips to the drugstore for the pills.

Now that they were together again though, there was no denying the stirrings inside her. She still remembered cradling Emma in the dreamscape and it had been her greatest joy; a joy Mary never knew but thought about frequently. As Mary, she had begun to entertain the possibility of a baby when she and David got married. But now, even with the curse broken, she knew the timing probably wasn't good. They still had a lot of things to figure out. It was hardly the time to be thinking about having a baby with all the uncertainty around them, not to mention discussing Emma's feelings on them having another child. She didn't want her daughter to feel replaced in any capacity. She was their baby and always would be. But she was grown now and they still had time to have more children if they wanted. She just wasn't sure it was a conundrum they could afford to entertain yet. It didn't lessen those stirrings inside her or the joy she felt at the thought of having another baby with the man she loved.

"Hey...you okay?" he asked, noticing the pensiveness on her face. But she smiled softly and caressed his handsome face with the back of her hand.

"I'm great...wonderful, in fact. As Mary, I don't know how I ever forgot what it was like being with you," she said softly. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You mean how I can seem to keep my hands off you?" he teased, as he pulled her even closer and she giggled.

"Definitely that...but you're not the only one that can't keep their hands off," she teased back, watching his eyes glaze, as her own hands roamed. This resulted in more heated kisses, until he finally released her lips to trail down her neck. She sighed in contentment, letting herself become lost in him again.

"I love you so much…" he breathed.

"Oh Charming…" she mewled. Gods, she could never get enough of his man. But their bliss would inevitably be interrupted by their hungry grandson, who they could hear coming down the stairs with a crabby Emma. They smiled at each other, as they enjoyed the banter between mother and son and how he needed to pick something other than pop-tarts, because the toaster hated her.

"I think we need a door," she mentioned. He smirked.

"Yeah and a cold shower," he added, as she giggled.

"Didn't you get enough of me yet?" she teased, but he gave her a smoldering look in response that left her flush all the way to her toes.

"Baby...I could make love to your for eternity and I'd never get enough," he answered, as he kissed her quickly and got up to throw some clothes on, leaving her completely hot and bothered.

"We definitely need a door," she repeated, as he smiled back at her. She grabbed her robe and slipped off to the bathroom, while David made sure Emma and Henry ate more than sugar laden pastries.

After they had all eaten and cleaned up, Emma was getting ready to take Henry down to the bus when the boy turned to his grandparents.

"Hey Grams...when are you coming back to school?" Henry asked curiously. Snow smiled.

"I'm not really sure sweetie. There's a lot to figure out in terms of the town leadership now," she replied.

"Are you going to be the new Mayor?" he asked excitedly.

"I...I don't know honey. I guess that's one thing that we have to figure out," she replied uncertainly.

"Well, you'll be really good at if you are," he said, as he trotted out of the apartment. Emma shot them a smile, as she followed him.

She felt David's arms slide around her waist from behind and his lips caress her cheek.

"He's right, you know," he said in her ear and she hummed in response.

"I'm not sure about that. I mean, what do I know about running this town?" she asked, as she turned to him. He took her hands in his own.

"You're a wonderful leader...we were able to overthrow Regina and George for a reason. Because the people wanted it. They didn't take care of our people and their support ultimately is what won it all for us," he reminded.

"But being a Princess...or a Queen is very different than running a town in this land. Regina had twenty-eight years to figure all of this out...and curse memories of how governing in this land works…" she fretted.

"She did...but that doesn't mean you can't learn on the job. Not to mention that you have people around you to help. I'm well versed in all the laws and governing in this land," Persephone interjected.

"I had twenty-eight years of waiting around to do before I could see you again. I made good use of that time with many books from Athena's vast library. I read just about every book about this land that she had," the Goddess added.

"That's probably why you should take over as Mayor," Snow said, but the other dark haired beauty shook her head.

"No Snowdrop, these are your people. They fought to install you as their Queen and it's really no different here. But if you need a deputy Mayor, then nothing would make me happier than working alongside my wonderful, amazing daughter," she said. Snow took sharp breath. Twenty-eight years ago, she had been ready to rule and wouldn't have questioned it even for a second. But then she spend twenty-eight years as Mary Margaret Blanchard, the meek schoolteacher that could barely look anyone in the eye and now ruling terrified her. But it was her duty to her people to do exactly that. Her Mother and Charming seemed to have all the confidence in the world in her. She just wished she could muster that same confidence.

"I...just don't even know where to begin. I mean, do we have an election?" she asked.

"That is the correct avenue to proceed in this land. Obviously our former Mayor is in jail. In normal circumstances, the deputy Mayor would take over. But since Regina doesn't have one, then a special election would be in order," Persephone agreed.

"Then someone else could run against me," Snow realized.

"They could, but I really doubt that anyone else can compete with you. There may be a bit of dissension among those still loyal to Regina and we may see a power grab from a few others, but the majority will want you as their leader, Snow," Persephone stated. Snow didn't look very convinced though.

"Yesterday, you wanted us to cross the town line as soon as it was possible. Now you think we should lead?" she asked.

"I was wrong to push you to run away. I know it's something you would never do to your people. I am just so frightened of losing you again that I let it overrule my good sense. The thought of Hades or Cora anywhere near you sends me into a panic," she admitted.

"I understand why with Hades, but why Cora? I know she's dangerous, but I have been around her before. Other than manipulating a secret out of me, she never had much to do with me. Most of the time when she was around, I was with Johanna," Snow replied. Persephone took a sharp breath at that and turned away.

"There was much going on around you that you didn't know about," Persephone responded.

"Then tell me...please," Snow pleaded. Persephone looked back at her with a sad look.

"Snow, you have to realize what I am going to tell you might change the way you see the people in your life that were constants when you were a child. They were people there for you when I could not be. Things happened and they did things that they shouldn't have, but at the end of the day, you were safe until Leopold died. And even though I have issues with some of these people that were constants in your life, they were still there to see that you were safe and happy," she said. Snow took a deep breath.

"I love that you are trying to protect me, but if Cora really is going to eventually find a way here, then shouldn't I know? I'll admit that yesterday I was already seriously questioning who I was," Snow said, as she looked at David.

"But Charming reminded me that I already know exactly who I am, despite the fact that things I thought were truths in my life turned out not to be so. I am still a Princess that will fight for my Kingdom. I'm a wife and a mother, and even a grandmother," she continued.

"And I get to be a daughter again...it's something I never thought possible, but it's happened in ways I never imagined," Snow added, as she took her Mother's hands.

"But just as I expect complete honesty in my relationships with my husband and child, I need that from you too, Mother," she pleaded. Persephone softened and pulled her close, as the tears started to slip down her face.

"You are so good...my perfect little girl. I knew you would be though. It is why I named you as such," she confessed.

"I will tell you everything, but I do think Emma should hear it too," Persephone stated.

"I think we can arrange a quiet family dinner here at the loft," David interjected. The two nodded.

"For now, I think we should get the word out that you are calling a town wide meeting to announce your candidacy for Mayor," Persephone said.

"Do you think today is too short of notice? Not everyone may hear about it," Snow replied.

"They will if I tell Leroy. He'll spread the word better than any other means," David said, as he pulled out his phone to call the often irritated dwarf.

"If I made you feel as though I did not believe in your ability to lead yesterday, that was never my intention," Persephone mentioned. Snow nodded.

"I know," she assured her.

"I am so proud of the woman you have become, Snow. You will be an amazing leader," she added.

"Only because I won't be doing it alone," Snow added, as they shared a hug.

"Okay...Grumpy is spreading the word. I'd say give it an hour and people will be flocking to City Hall," he mentioned.

"Then I say we best be making our way there. We can call Emma on the way," Persephone said, as they made their way out for the day.

~*~

After seeing Henry off to the bus, Emma received a text and it was surprisingly from August. No one had seen or heard from him since the curse had broken, but that had not surprised her since she had witnessed him turn completely to wood. She now wondered if the curse breaking had truly fixed him. But then she questioned that too when he said he wanted to meet, but rejected her idea of Granny's.

Instead, he had given her a set of directions to follow to him. Normally, she would have told him off and demanded that he stop lurking in the shadows like a coward. But she admitted she was curious as to why he was so afraid to come out now that the curse was broken. Seemingly, this was what he had wanted. His own father didn't know he was even alive and even if her parents had some harsh words for him, she knew it wasn't the fear of that.

So reluctantly, she ventured into the woods and came upon a really beat up old trailer. It was disgusting on the outside and she could only imagine what it was like on the inside.

Tentatively, she opened the door and peered in.

"Hello?" she called.

"Hello Emma," a voice answered and she recognized it as August. She stepped into the trailer and came face to face with August...still completely wooden. But the difference was that the return of magic had given him mobility. Now she understood why he was cowering in the shadows.

"Guess this explains why you didn't want to meet in public," she commented.

"It's nothing I don't deserve, I suppose. I have done a lot of selfish things," he admitted.

"No arguments here," Emma muttered, as she looked around.

"But everyone has their memories back. You don't have to stay hidden. I mean...don't you think your father deserves to know you're alive?" she asked. He smirked bitterly.

"Deserves to know what an utter failure I am? No...I think I prefer him thinking I'm dead," he replied.

"That's the selfish thing to do!" she snapped and he looked taken aback. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Look, those things won't be easy for him to hear, but he needs to. Letting him think you're dead is torture for him. And I'm sorry, but it's time that he answered for his part in this whole thing," she added.

"Have your parents confronted him yet?" he asked curiously. She sighed.

"No...but I'm sure he'll be there at the town meeting that they called in an hour. Everyone will be showing up to discuss the town leadership and my Mom plans to announce that she's running for Mayor," Emma revealed. August allowed himself a small smile.

"She'll be great," he offered.

"She will...we're still trying to convince her of that, but she will," she agreed. But August didn't look like he was going to budge.

"Look, I'm not saying that they won't have some harsh words about the lies that he and Blue told. But you know my parents...they'll forgive. He still needs to know what he did to you...to us! Putting an infant in the care of a seven-year-old boy was careless. His actions had a part in our crappy childhoods," she stated.

"I've never really let myself blame him, but I'll never forget that night. Alone with a baby in the woods and this land was so strange…" he admitted.

"He needs to know about your struggles. Trust me, it will be cathartic. Believe me, I unloaded on my parents in the dreamscape when I was a teenager. It wasn't in the healthiest way and it made them sad, but it also helped them understand. It made my relationship with them stronger until we finally got to the place we are now," Emma advised.

"I don't know if I can...I'm not like you," he lamented. She sighed in exasperation.

"Well, I guess that's your choice. Have fun continuing to live a lie," she responded, as she stalked toward the door.

"Emma…" he called and she turned back.

"Please don't tell anyone you saw me or where I am," he pleaded. She clenched her teeth.

"I'm not like you. If my kid asks about you...then I'm gonna tell him," she snapped back. He lowered his head.

"But if he doesn't...then I won't offer the information," she added, as she left. August pondered her visit further in the wake of her storming out. She was willing to forgive him now, but if she knew the truth about Neal and his part in all of that, she'd shun him again. And if Gold found out that he knew where Baelfire was...he shuddered. He didn't even want to think about that.

"Sorry Emma...I can't come clean and no one can find me again," he muttered to himself, as he prepared to move the trailer.

~*~

Snow fought the urge to pace nervously, as people filed into the Town Hall in droves.

"I'm not sure this was such a good idea," she lamented. David stopped her fidgeting by putting his hands on her arms.

"No, it's a great idea. You're going to be amazing," he assured.

"How do you know?" she asked. He smiled.

"Because you're you," he replied simply. She felt like a mixture of both wanting to melt and being exasperated at that answer.

"David...that is a very charming answer, but it's hardly true. I'm a mess...I'm not even close to being prepared for this. And maybe the town isn't so sure about me either. I mean, to most of them I've been Mary Margaret for twenty-eight years and they hardly see her as leadership material," Snow argued.

"I think you're being a little hard on the Mary part of you. I happen to love her too," he reminded. She softened even more.

"I know...it's just these people saw her very differently than you did. For the most part, she was invisible and Regina's favorite punching bag. And then I was the tramp that was the reason David Nolan wasn't going to go back to his divorced wife," she said, rolling her eyes at the last part, which was clearly ridiculous. He moved his hands to cup her face gently and pulled her into a kiss.

"I know for a long time that no one saw you...but I assure you that most of these people are here for you now. They're looking to you as their rightful leader and I know without a doubt that you're up to the challenge," he promised.

"But if you really don't want to do this...I understand. It's a lot. But I also know you and I don't think you'll be particularly happy with who might step in to try and take control," he mentioned, as he gestured to the back of the room. Standing there was none other than King Midas and former King George, looking very chummy too. And Snow realized that this was a pair she was absolutely unwilling to let in control of her people's future. Looking around, she saw most of them looking in their direction with questions and uncertainty in their eyes. And it was up to her family to lead. With a bit more resolve, she relaxed a bit and stepped up to the podium, ready to speak.

"Thank you for coming today," Snow began, as she glanced behind her a bit to see her family giving her encouraging smiles.

"I know that the last couple days have been very confusing and we are all trying to find the balance between our cursed identities and our newly returned real identities. Regina brought us here to this place, but is obviously not fit to lead us. And though the future before us is still uncertain, I would like to step up and take on that mantle of leadership," Snow stated.

"I don't know if there is a way back to our land or if it's even a viable option. What I do know that, despite the fact that this place is where we were cursed to, it is a land of choice and opportunity. We can make good lives here now that the curse is broken and I would like to lead us all to a brighter future. That's why I am announcing that I am running for Mayor," she said, causing commotion in the room.

"What of the Queen?" someone interjected. Snow took a deep breath.

"Regina is locked up and we will see that she is no longer a threat," Snow stated.

"You cannot promise that…" another voice said, as Midas strode toward the podium. Charming clenched his teeth, ready to pounce on the King if he got too close to Snow.

"Father…" Abigail chided. But he ignored her.

"You are the reason we are here. The Evil Queen cursed us...because of you, Snow White," he announced, causing more chattering among the crowd.

"Don't you dare blame the curse on my wife!" David growled, as he started toward him. But Snow got in his way, putting her hands on his chest and trying to keep him back.

"Oh, I'm so glad you have chosen to speak, Prince James…" he said, as he turned to the crowd.

"Your beloved Snow White has a secret!" he announced, as George smirked deviously.

"We all now know about her origins; that she not the daughter of King Leopold and Queen Eva, but in reality only their niece! She is the daughter of the Goddess Persephone, but that is not the only secret she holds," he continued.

"Your beloved bandit Princess married an imposter! This man is not the real Prince James," Midas announced. There were gasps of surprise from most, except for those close to Snow and David, like the dwarves, Red, Granny, Blue, Archie, and Geppetto. David's true identity had been a closely guarded secret. Snow glared at the King.

"Your Princess married a peasant...a poor Shepherd who masqueraded as his twin brother, Prince James, and deceived us all!" Midas ranted.

"I suggest you all think twice about who you will seat upon this town's Throne. I am a real King, from a noble line with pure royal blood. And I challenge you for the seat of Mayor, Snow White," Midas announced. Abigail and Frederick looked absolutely mortified, for they never expected him to sink to this level. His announcement caused more chattering in the room.

"Then you better bring it, because my wife will be twice the leader you'll ever be," David interjected.

"And coming from a peasant, your words have little meaning. Perhaps if you were a real Prince, you might sway the people with those good looks and charm. But these people hardly need the word of a peasant," Midas spat. Snow's eyes shot daggers at the pompous windbag that dared to speak to her husband that way, but David put a calming hand on the small of her back.

"You're right...I'm not a Prince by birth. I stepped in for my brother that died fighting a battle for you," David said, pointing at the King.

"I kept up the ruse after I slayed your Dragon, only because George threatened to kill my Mother if I didn't. I had no interest in being a Prince and then I met Snow. It was then that I realized the good I could do for people just like me. People who knew what it was like to struggle just to survive and know what it was like to go to bed hungry. I knew that we both could make a difference by being a voice for people like me. And Snow...she not only cares for her people, but she loves them. She made sacrifices for them in a way we all know you never would," David said passionately.

"So, if the people want someone who values gold and riches above everything, then I'm sure they'll vote for you. But if they want a voice and a true leader, then they'll vote for Snow," he finished, as there was cheers. Snow beamed at him and tugged him by the collar. She kissed him passionately, as he turned his head to her.

"I love you…" she breathed, as their lips parted. He smiled.

"And I love you...people are going to make the right choice," he assured. With that, she turned back to the podium.

"I believe my husband said everything that needs to be said. Now the vote remains in your hands," Snow concluded, as she stepped back and into Charming's arms again. Midas looked none too happy, for his outing of David had clearly backfired. Still, there was a small group of dissension that seemed to side with Midas and George, but it was to be expected. They were part of the former nobility and also part of the problem. Persephone was confident that her daughter would win the vote and become the leader she knew she was born to be.


	46. Turning Tables

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 46: Turning Tables

As Snow stepped off the stage, she was greeted with a hug from Belle.

"You were wonderful," the brunette said. Snow smiled shyly.

"Thanks...I still am not sure I'm the right choice though," she replied.

"But that's why you are. Your husband is right. You care and that alone means you'll do your best for the people," she assured.

"I just wish they hadn't used this to try and attack my husband," she lamented.

"I'm okay," David assured, as he slid an arm around her waist.

"It's probably best they know anyway. I've never been completely comfortable being called James anyhow," he replied.

"You stepped seamlessly into his shoes. You were and are a better Prince than he ever was," she assured.

"My brother was a victim of his upbringing and never had the chance to grow beyond that," David said.

"So...you're not James," Leroy mentioned.

"No," David confirmed.

"Then what is your name?" Happy asked.

"David," he replied.

"Your curse name?" Leroy asked. The Prince rolled his eyes.

"No...my real name," David replied.

"So...Charming?" Leroy questioned.

"No...that's the name I gave him," Snow chimed in. He smiled at her.

"My favorite name," he said fondly.

"You know what? I'm just gonna call you whatever the hell I want, got it?" the dwarf grumbled.

"Sure Leroy," David replied in exasperation.

"It doesn't matter what his name is," George interjected, as he approached and Persephone's hand twitched, more than ready to blast this man as far away from her family as she could.

"He is and will always be a fraud...a poor replacement for my real son. And if you think I will allow you to defame his good name, then I assure you that you'll regret not killing me back in our land when you had the chance," George threatened.

"My husband is twice the man the real James was. Like you, he wasn't well liked at all and you better stay the hell away from him," Snow growled, as she stood in front of him.

"You know, I knew your father well, Snow White. Or your adopted father, I suppose he was. He would be mortified that his lovely little Princess has degraded her station by marrying this low born peasant," the former King hissed.

"Pity...he's probably rolling in his grave at the thought of his little Princess being fucked by this low class scum," he spat crudely and Snow gasped in horror.

"Back off old man," Emma growled, as she got between him and her parents.

"I see your daughter will be fighting your battles now," he challenged, but David stepped forward.

"There is no battle to fight. We already did that and you lost," he snapped. George smirked deviously at them both.

"I lost then, but it's a new day here in Storybrooke. And I assure you I will not rest until I make you both pay," he hissed. But Persephone stepped in.

"If you come near my family or send any of your paid lap dogs, then it is me that you shall deal with this time," she threatened.

"Oh, so I suppose you're going to threaten to send me to the Underworld?" he challenged. But she smirked.

"Oh no, that's too good for you. There are many ways I can bring hell to you right here, Your Majesty. If you so much as touch them or make a move to harm them, you will know the true wrath of this Goddess," she warned, as her eyes flashed lavender with power. George backed away, but wasn't going to give up. There were other ways to hurt them without going after them directly and he would find a way to make them both pay. He wouldn't rest until David lost everything and was pleading for his mercy.

"You weren't kidding about him being the worst," Emma commented, as they watched him go.

"He's as dangerous as Regina, if not more so. Because unlike Regina, he was never good. He has always been this," Persephone stated.

"You should have just ended him. Showing him mercy will just come back to haunt you," Rumple commented.

"Rumple…" Belle chided.

"He's got a point," Jefferson muttered.

"No...for too long, the Mayor's office has been feared and it's time to change that. I will not rule with fear," Snow agreed. Persephone smiled at her and squeezed her hands.

"And that is why you will truly be the leader this town needs," she agreed, as they started to disperse.

"And David…" she called, as he turned back.

"There is no one else that is good enough for my daughter. But you are and where you were born has absolutely no bearing on your union with her," Persephone said simply. Snow smiled and put her arms around his waist, as she rested her head on his chest. And he was bolstered by Persephone's approval of him.

"Perhaps now that this is concluded, we can return to my shop and resume our search for a way out of town and my son," Rumple interjected. The Goddess nodded.

"Of course...I have some new ideas on that. I'll see all of you at home later," she agreed, as she left with Rumple and Belle. Emma sighed and turned to her parents.

"Well, the kid will be sorry he missed all this. I'm going to go check in at the station," she said, as she hugged them.

"I'll run patrol and then I'll see you later?" he asked. Snow nodded and he kissed her tenderly. She parted ways from her family and walked to the diner, leaving her with her thoughts.

Snow took heart though, for it seemed like her friends were ready to support her. It didn't escape her notice though or Charming's at how quick Blue, Geppetto, and Jiminy had left after her speech though. They had yet to face Snow and Charming about the wardrobe and the lies that were told. And she wasn't sure how to feel about that. Obviously she had a lot of anger about it. To think that if they had told the truth and she and Charming had escaped to this land before she went into labor. They would have been a real family much sooner.

She knew why Geppetto had done it, as incredibly careless as it was. But she understood. She just wished he could own what he had done instead of avoiding them. But if he wasn't ready, then she wouldn't push for a confrontation at this time. Emotionally, she wasn't sure she was in the right place for that confrontation right now since all she wanted to do was slap him for risking her daughter's future as he had. Then there was the trauma to his own son. Charming had told her about August's lies, but she was almost certain the way he turned out was a direct result of growing up as a runaway in this land. August had disappeared though and Geppetto had no idea what had become of his son. And he didn't seem to be looking, other than posting some flyers. She didn't understand that at all. If it were Emma missing, she knew she'd move the heavens and earth to find her. She knew Charming would too.

No, perhaps this was not the time to have this confrontation, because their emotions were too raw. She knew it would probably lead to an emotionally charged war or words. Which wouldn't do anyone any good right now. The time to confront them would come, even though they all avoided it now. But that time was not now. Now was the time to finally lead her people and as she arrived at the diner, she saw that Red and Granny were already excitedly planning to make flyers for her campaign. She was eager to get to work too and since it was between lunch and dinner, she and Red were able to spend most of the afternoon making campaign posters.

"Which one do you like best?" Red asked.

"I don't know...they're all great," Snow replied, as she looked them over. The first one was simple with a flattering picture of her that simply stated:

"Vote Snow White for Mayor. The People's Princess,"

Another had her with her family and said:

"Snow White For Mayor Means Prosperity for families"

"Oh...the nurses at the hospital dropped this one off," Red remembered, as she pulled out another. This one said:

"For the Fresh Start We Deserve: Princess Snow White is the only choice,"

"They're all really good...maybe the one about families?" Snow wondered.

"I personally like this one," Granny interjected, as she put another one down on the counter. It had a particularly gorgeous photo of Snow. Above it was a photo of Regina with an X through it.

"Out with the Queen and In with the Goddess? Really Granny?" she asked skeptically. The elder woman shrugged.

"I like it...blunt and unapologetic," she said.

"Maybe...but probably not appropriate," Snow chided. Granny shrugged.

"Okay, but I'm keeping this one and pinning it to the front desk over at the Inn," she replied. Red and Snow shared an amused smile, as the bus pulled up outside the diner and Henry hurried into the diner.

"Grandma! Is it true? Are you really running for Mayor?" he asked excitedly. She smiled and hugged him.

"I am sweetie...I know you're probably disappointed I'm not coming back to school though," she mentioned. He nodded.

"A little...I like you being my teacher. But Mom said that next year you wouldn't be my teacher anyway and this is better, cause you're going to be a great Mayor," Henry said.

"Listen to the kid," Granny agreed, as she sat a mug of hot cocoa with cinnamon down for him.

"Refill?" she asked. Snow nodded.

"Thanks Granny," she answered, as a redheaded woman approached them.

"You know, I couldn't help but overhear and I think your grandson is absolutely right, Your Highness. Your gracious leadership is exactly what this town needs after the Queen Regina's stifling regime," the woman said kindly.

"Oh...well thank you…" Snow said, realizing she didn't know this woman's name.

"Oh, it's Kelly," she offered.

"It's nice to meet you Kelly and thank you for your support," Snow responded.

"Oh...the pleasure is mine, Princess," she said, eyeing the refilled cocoa on the counter.

"Grams...can we go hang these up around town?" Henry asked, as Snow turned her head to him. The woman smirked and poured a small vial of clear liquid into Snow's mug. She then slipped away unnoticed.

"Sure...but I think we should probably choose which one we like best and then head to the print shop to make copies," she replied, as they looked at them. Kelly smirked, as she left the diner with mission accomplished. Whatever birth control precautions Snow White might be taking would now be null and with the way the two idiots looked at each other, a baby would be a reality sooner rather than later. Then she would have what she needed to change everything.

~*~

After deciding on a poster, Snow and Henry ventured to the Storybrooke print shop and put the order in to have the posters made and then stopped back at Granny's to get dinner for Regina. Henry expressed his interest in giving his Mother another chance after Snow expressed to him how hard it was for her to accept that she had lost. But that she still loved him very much. When he asked her why she couldn't love his whole family, Snow didn't have an answer for him. But she had seen determination on his young face, that same determination she had often seen on her husband and daughter's faces. And it was then that Snow knew that if anyone could save Regina's soul, then it would be Henry.

They soon arrived at the station and Snow let him take the bag of takeout to his Mother, while she greeted her husband with a kiss.

"If you two would mind not sucking face while I'm trying to eat, that would be great," Regina called snidely from her cell. Their lips parted and David looked very annoyed.

"Mom...can't you even try to be nice?" Henry complained.

"It's complicated Henry...now tell me about your day," she requested.

"School was okay, but our substitute, Miss Sterling is mean. And she has a gross wart on her face," he chimed back, as David couldn't hide a chuckle. This earned him a nudge from Snow.

"Henry, that's not nice. Miss Sterling was once a well respected noble, who was a very loyal member of my court," Regina chided. But the boy shrugged. He wasn't a fan.

"Then after school, I...spent time with Grams," he said, carefully omitting what exactly it was that they did.

"Henry...Snow is hardly old enough to be your grandmother," Regina protested the title.

"It's okay...it is what I am," Snow countered, as a cool gaze passed between the two women. Regina broke the gaze and went back to chatting with her son.

Snow watched Henry hug Regina from a far, as she and Charming had sequestered themselves in Emma's office to give them some time, though the blinds remained open.

"Am I stupid to hope?" Snow asked aloud.

"Hope is never stupid," Charming replied, as she turned to him.

"Some would say that I am responsible for the curse though. Some would say that every person Regina hurt or killed after I spared her from execution is blood on my hands. And I'm not sure they are wrong," she lamented. He shook his head.

"I'm not going to let you do this to yourself. You're a good person, Snow. I know how hard it would have been for you to live with Regina's execution on your conscience," he argued. But she shook her head. She wasn't letting herself off the hook on this one.

"But those are the decisions a Queen must make. I couldn't do it then. What makes me think I can lead now?" she asked.

"Because you have compassion for others and believe me, that was a severally lacking quality in many royals back in our land," he replied.

"But my compassion got people killed. My compassion got us cursed…" she said, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"My compassion tore me away from my husband and daughter for twenty-eight years," she cried, as he pulled her into his arms and gently rubbed her back in a soothing manner.

"I know...but we can move forward now, Snow. We have our entire future still ahead of us. We have our baby girl back...while we're awake!" he reminded and she smiled softly.

"And we have a grandson," he added. She nodded.

"What if I have to make that decision this time...how can I do that to Henry?" she asked.

"I don't know...I want to have hope for his sake. But if we have to make the hard decision this time, then we will do it together as we do everything," he promised, as he held her against his chest and she breathed in his scent, drawing comfort from his presence.

~*~

What they couldn't know was that things were about to get even more dangerous and complicated, even as peace seemed to settle over the town that afternoon

They remained unaware of the impending danger upon their coastline shore. From the Harbor vantage point, a large vessel appeared seemingly out of nowhere and sailed toward the quaint, ordinary looking town. Aboard were three occupants, one of which was not a willing occupant. The giant remained confined in a cage on the deck and covered with a tarp. The other two gazed out over the horizon at their intended destination with definite malice in their intentions.

"This is it?" Hook asked. Cora smiled with a pleased expression.

"Yes...Storybrooke," she confirmed.

"This should be easier to find the Crocodile than I thought," Hook stated.

"Patience Captain...you must tread lightly. There is magic here," she said. A look of betrayal flashed in his eyes.

"You said this was the Land Without Magic," he snapped and she held up her hand.

"It is...for the most part, except Rumpelstiltskin has brought magic to this one place now that the curse is broken. He intends to use it to find his son," she informed.

"Baelfire," Hook muttered.

"Explain to me how I am to enact my revenge if I can't skin the bloody reptile?" he questioned hotly. She chuckled.

"Patience...we will deal with the Dark One. Once I have what I want, then he'll be at your mercy, Captain," she assured. Hook didn't look convinced though. He knew that if Cora's agenda didn't line up with him, then she would do as she pleased, regardless of what he wanted. Still, going against her wasn't smart either. So for now, he would bide his time as requested. He had a feeling this ordinary looking place was anything but and he was interested to see what it had in store. One thing was sure though. If the opportunity to take the Crocodile out presented itself, he would take it, whether Cora liked it or not…

~*~

The man in the dirty red stocking cap peered into the darkened flower shop, as dusk fell in Storybrooke that evening.

"Hello?" he called.

"Back here," a man called. By the accent of his voice, he was easily recognized as Moe French, owner of the Game of Thorns flower shop.

"You advertised that you need a job done," the portly man stated.

"Yes...I need you to abduct my daughter, preferably tomorrow," Moe stated.

"The Dark One's lady love?" the scruffy man asked in shock.

"She is not his...he is a monster! And I must get my Belle away from him!" Moe insisted. Before he had been swept into the curse, he had been known simply as Mr. Smee, first mate to Captain Hook. As a pirate, Smee had been involved in plenty of shady things. But he had also seen what happened to a person who crossed the Dark One. His Captain was the perfect example. He had crossed Rumpelstiltskin and lost his love and his hand for his trouble. He felt it warranted to warn this man that crossing Gold could spell his end.

"Crossing Rumpelstiltskin is risky at best. He's destroyed many for far less than what you propose to do," Smee warned.

"Do you want the job or not? Belle is not to be harmed. I just need her brought down to the mines," Moe responded.

"Why the mines?" Smee asked.

"The rumor is that those who cross the town line forget who they are. At least as Lacey, she was going to leave this place and that man. I may never see her again if she does, but at least he won't ruin her," Moe spat. Smee looked at the other man with surprise. He had met some heartless people in his days, but never one quite so callous about his own child. He was actually suggesting his daughter was better off dead than with the Dark One. It was chilling and unexpected, coming from the seemingly harmless flower shop owner. Unfortunately, his cash flow was rather low as usual, so Smee didn't really have room to be picky about the jobs he took. How he missed the days aboard the Jolly Roger. Working for Hook had always been quite lucrative.

"You got the cash?" he asked. Moe handed him an envelope.

"Half now...half when the job is complete," he replied. Smee checked the envelope and then slipped out of the shop through the back. The money would be enough to allow him to lay low for a while after the job was done.

~*~

Emma wrinkled her nose in disgust, as Persephone add a final herb to the foul smelling potion that boiled in the beaker. Who knew magic was so similar to chemistry. But then she supposed what some people called magic could also be called science. The people in this land didn't believe in magic, but science was their greatest triumph and in many ways had made life very easy through technology. And Storybrooke was now a mixture of both. Modern science and magic coexisting together, even if no one outside could ever know about it or believe it for that matter.

"Does all magic smell this awful?" she questioned. Persephone smirked.

"Dark magic does," she replied.

"Is that what this is? Dark magic?" Emma asked in concern.

"No...this is more organic magic, which also stinks usually since my ingredients often come from the earth. Light magic usually isn't such an assault on the olfactory sense," the Goddess answered.

"Dark magic would be quicker than you experimenting with your weeds and cooking herbs," Rumple complained impatiently.

"Rumple...you of all people should appreciate all kinds of magic. What does it matter if we get the same results? And without the use of dark magic?" Belle chided. He was quiet then, neither confirming or denying her point.

Persephone shook the beaker and smiled at the results.

"Now...there is one thing we need more and I think we'll have what we need to allow anyone that ingests the potion to cross the town line without consequence and without having to have any kind of talisman," Persephone explained.

"Talisman?" Belle asked.

"My original plan was to use a potion on Bae's scarf...it's the only thing I have left of him. I wouldn't be able to be without it though or I'd lose my memories," Rumple replied.

"This sounds better...especially if we have to get on a plane. You have to remove all that crap to get through security," Emma offered.

"Precisely...now for the final ingredient," the Goddess said, as she glanced at the blonde.

"I need the blood from someone that's not cursed and the product of true love. You fit that description to a T," she said.

"You need my blood?" Emma asked skeptically.

"Just a few drops if you're willing," Persephone replied. Emma shrugged and offered her finger, allowing her grandmother to prick it and squeeze a few drops of blood into the potion. There was a puff of white smoke, as the potion turned from it's dark brown color to a light, iridescent pink and Persephone smiled.

"There...it's done," she said.

"Yes...unfortunately, that is only half the problem solved," Rumple said with a sigh. He was so close to Bae yet still so far, but Belle put her hand on his shoulder.

"We will find him...this is the first step," she assured. Persephone poured the potion into four vials and she handed two of them to Rumple.

"Two for you and Belle. And two for Snow and David," she said.

"Do we need any for Mom and Dad now? I mean...you won't get them to leave, no matter how dangerous it gets," Emma reminded.

"No...but this will protect them from losing their memories should anyone try to compromise them in revenge," she countered.

"You mean George," Emma realized.

"Yes, plus if things remain quiet, I know that your parents wouldn't mind joining you on a short trip to the land outside here," she added. Emma couldn't disagree with that. They were both curious about the land that she had grown up in after spending her lifetime hearing about it from her in the dreamscape. She actually felt a bit excited at that as well. To think they might be able to take an actual family trip someday. It was kind of exciting to think about. She checked her phone and realized how late it had gotten.

"Oh wow...I should get home. Mom and Dad put the kid to bed for me," she said. Persephone realized they had worked all the way through dinner and into the later evening hours. They had planned to sit down as a family and have a conversation about things she felt Snow needed to know. But that discussion would have to be tabled for another day. It didn't worry her though, for she hoped that finding a way to this land proved as difficult for Cora as it once had for Rumpelstiltskin. With those thoughts, she and Emma said their goodbyes for the evening. Tomorrow, more work would begin as they tackled the conundrum of locating Baelfire in this vast world.

~*~

After reading no less than three stories from the book to his grandson, Charming found Snow in Emma's room next door and as usual, took a moment to simply watch her, admiring her beauty and every nuance about her. He watched her clutch Emma's baby blanket and bring it to her nose, as she inhaled the scent and he didn't miss the tear the slipped down her cheek. She still struggled with everything they had, but didn't have. Their relationship with their daughter now was wonderful, but he remembered a time when it wasn't. He remembered when Emma had blamed them for everything wrong with her life and they had accepted the blame. Despite the fact that others forced their decision to put in her in the wardrobe, Snow had still made that decision and she still felt the guilt until this day. But if Emma had been cursed as a baby or worse, Regina or her Black Knights succeeded in killing their daughter, then the curse would have never been broken. Ultimately, giving her up had been the only choice and they would be forever grateful for Persephone making the dreamscape a reality for them, for it has truly made all the difference.

"Am I that interesting?" she teased playfully, noticing his stare and the obvious love on his face.

"Very much so," he answered, as he closed the distance between them and slid his arms around her waist.

"Is Henry asleep?" she asked. He hummed affirmatively.

"Out like a light. It took no less than three stories from the book, but he finally stopped fighting it," he replied.

"Do you think the necklace will protect him from the fire room?" she asked worriedly.

"It seemed to last night. He didn't wake up screaming in the middle of the night and maybe tonight will be the night we find a way past that barrier," he replied. She nodded hopefully, as she put Emma's blanket down and then turned to him, as he folded her against his strong chest. They left her room and turned out the light, before venturing downstairs where they pulled the curtain closed around their bed. Snow watched her husband remove his belt and noticed he hadn't removed his holster yet. He had already locked up his gun long before he had tucked Henry in, but had forgotten to remove the holster. She bit her bottom lip, she couldn't help but think how sexy he looked wearing it.

"See something you like, my darling?" he asked, tossing her playful look over his shoulder.

"I like the holster," she mentioned with a flirty smile. He smirked back.

"Really? I think I miss carrying a sword...but if you like the holster, than all the more reason to wear it," he said, as he removed it and started unbuttoning his shirt, thrilling her more.

"Mmm...so if I asked you to take off your shirt and then put the holster back on, you'd do it?" she inquired. His smile widened, as he looked at her with an indulgent smile. Her face was a mix of Snow's bold playfulness and Mary Margaret's shy embarrassment at the thought of such bedroom antics.

"Snow White...are you suggesting that we play bandit and Sheriff?" he teased, as he towered over her with the most sultry look on his face she had ever seen. She bit her bottom lip again and snatched something from his discarded belt.

"Does Sheriff Charming have a problem with arresting a wanted bandit?" she challenged. He snatched the cuffs from her.

"You realize if I arrest you, it means I have to conduct an investigation and a full body search, right?" he asked, playing along. She grinned excitedly.

"Oh...I'm counting on it," she replied with a sexy smile, as she tugged him toward the bed…


	47. Once Upon a Dream

Chapter 47: Once Upon a Dream

The Dreamscape

Snow and David eventually appeared in the dreamscape that night, hand in hand. They hadn't quite meant to stay up as late as they had, but their need and passion had kept them quite busy. For them, being awake now was like a bit of a reawakening too. They had been together in the dreamscape for twenty-eight years, but now that they were both awake, they were rediscovering just how powerful their love was. If anything, being together all these years, but not in many ways, had made their love more deeply rooted than they ever imagined possible. And naturally, this only made their need for intimacy greater and more pronounced.

They were aware of the looks and scrutiny this could garner from others. They could still see that their public expression of affection was still frowned upon a times, especially by nobles from the older generation. But it had never and would never stop them from being who they were and that was Snow and Charming, two people so deeply in love that it was incomprehensible to most, even to some of their friends.

For Emma, though she could definitely do without quite so much affectionate display, her parents also gave her hope. Growing up in the foster homes she had, she had seen the worst examples of relationships. Couples that fought and that were verbally and even physically abusive to each other. It was enough to make one doubt the existence of love at all. In fact, without having her parents in her dreams, Emma was sure that her time in foster care would have made her not only doubt the existence of true love, but would have convinced her that love was life's greatest lie.

But what was between her parents was no lie. It had always given Emma hope and that had truly made all the difference in her young life, in the best times and even in the worst times.

~*~

28 Years Ago

One Day After the Curse Was Cast

"I still don't know how this is possible...but I'm so happy. Even though I know we're cursed...we still have this. Whatever this is," Snow gushed. She had appeared just a few moments ago in this place for only the second time. Charming had not left this place, for it appeared that he was in some sort of sleeping curse if the images in the looking glass were anything to go by. Snow took heart though, for he was alive and always here when their baby slept periodically during what Snow knew must be day time hours, judging by the sporadic times Charming said that Emma appeared to him.

"I know, my darling. This place is a blessing. I thought it would be twenty-eight years before I'd hold you or Emma again," he agreed, as he pressed a kiss to her hair and then to Emma's head. Their daughter started to fuss and whimper, as Snow gently rocked.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" she cooed, as she suddenly felt an unusual sensation in her chest. She gasped when she realized exactly what it was.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"Nothing...I just don't know how it's possible," she replied, looking at him. He was still confused.

"Charming...I think I can nurse her," she realized, as she started to shrug the strap of the airy, sleeveless white dress she was wearing. She put her baby to her breast and she immediately latched, as she nursed hungrily. Tears gathered in Snow's eyes and slipped down her cheeks.

"I don't know how this is even possible...but the moment she came early, I thought this was lost to me," she sobbed.

"Oh Snow…" he soothed, as he stroked a soothing hand on her back.

"It's a miracle...isn't it? It has to be," she said, with hope in her voice. He smiled and kissed her tenderly.

"It is...Emma is a miracle. I think...I think this place gives her whatever she needs," he surmised. Snow frowned.

"Which makes me wonder what she's not getting out there," she worried. He hadn't said it, but he shared her fears.

"Charming...what if someone isn't taking care of our baby the way she needs? What if she's going hungry?" she asked, as Emma started to whimper, sensing her mother's unease. But he put a soft hand on the small of Snow's back and a gentle hand on Emma's tiny head.

"No, no, let's not go there...she's here with us to take care of, at least part of the time. She will know us, Snow. No matter what she must endure when she is awake, she will come to us when she sleeps. It's not everything, but it can be enough," he assured. She eased at his words. He was right, of course. It could have been much worse and their baby could be alone, never to know them at all. They both wanted more with her, but they would make this be enough for now.

Charming pressed another kiss to her hair and watched their daughter nurse with an awestruck expression, like they were the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. And to him, they were and always would be.

~*~

Twenty-two Years Ago

"Daddy...that tickles!" Emma giggled, as her father chased her around the meadow and then proceeded to tickle her once he caught her.

"It does? I guess I'm doing it right then," Charming teased, as he tickled her more. They looked up at that point and saw Snow in the near distance, hurrying to them.

"Mommy!" Emma called, as her father let her down and she ran to her. Snow hugged her baby fiercely and never wanted to let go, even though she knew she would have to in just a few short hours. Charming joined them and Emma felt their love for her and each other just in their eyes. Normally, she thought adults kissing was really gross, but she didn't mind it so much with her Mommy and Daddy, even though they did it A LOT. They loved each other the way Mommies and Daddies were supposed to and promised to. And Emma's parents were the only adults that Emma had ever seen not break that promise.

~*~

Thirteen Years Ago

"I hate you both! Everything that is wrong with my life is because of you two!" a teenaged Emma screamed at them.

"Emma…" Snow cried, as she reached out to her. But their daughter pulled away and stormed out to the meadow.

"I'm going to find a way to not come to this stupid place when I sleep! Then I'll never have to see you two again!" she added, before storming out. Snow collapsed into gut wrenching sobs in his arms, as he held her and cried with her too.

"It's going to be okay...I promise," Charming tried to soothe.

"How? How is it ever going to be okay, Charming?" Snow sobbed.

"Our little girl is suffering!" she cried.

"There are people abusing our baby and there is nothing we can do about it! And all because I made the decision to send her through the wardrobe!" Snow screamed.

"We had no choice...she would have been cursed or killed if we hadn't," he reminded. But she shook her head and turned away.

"I want to hurt them too, Snow. I can barely contain my rage that there is someone out there that abused our little girl," he said, choking on the words through his own anger and tears. She turned back to him and saw that he was in as much pain as she was.

"I feel so helpless...it's not supposed to be this way. This was supposed to be her best chance," Snow sobbed, as he held her flush against his chest.

"I know...and I know it doesn't seem like it was that at all right now. But it will get better and she will find us," he promised.

"You don't know that...she doesn't want anything to do with us. She hates us and I don't blame her," Snow cried. He kissed her hair.

"She doesn't mean those things, my darling," he promised.

"I wish I could believe that," she answered dejectedly.

~*~

Ten Years Ago

Snow and Charming's hearts ached, as their daughter was nearly catatonic.

"I couldn't even look at him...it was just too painful," Emma sniffed.

"Oh baby...I'm so sorry," Snow cried, as she stroked her long blonde locks, as she rested her head on Snow's shoulder.

"It's better...I'm not what he needs," she muttered.

"That's not true...you'd be a wonderful mother," David assured. If only they were there with her. She wouldn't have had to give him up. They would gladly have taken him until she was released from prison. It was just another instance in a long line of hardships Emma had endured that they couldn't protect her from. All thanks to this horrible curse that had wrecked their family.

"I'm gonna find you...I know I said I wasn't looking anymore when I was with Neal, but I'm going to again when I get out of prison," Emma said tearfully, as she looked at them.

"I was so cruel to you...I pushed you away and told you I didn't need you," she sobbed.

"Oh sweetheart...we know you didn't mean those things," Snow soothed.

"How? I said such awful things to you both. I even wished you both dead," she cried.

"Emma...we've already forgiven you, because we love you. Nothing you ever do is going to change that," David promised.

"Daddy's right sweetie...and when you do find us, we're going to do our best to make up for everything you had to go through because of the curse," Snow promised. 

"I know we never can, but we're going to get our chance to be a family," she added. Emma sniffed.

"What if I can never find you though?" Emma lamented.

"You will...we have faith," David promised.

"But why? I've done nothing but completely screw up my life up to now," she argued.

"Oh sweetheart, we all make mistakes. When I was around your age, my father died and I had to run, because I was accused of his murder," she reminded.

"But you didn't murder him. I did steal stuff," she muttered.

"I stole too...to survive, just like you. It's how I met your father, remember?" she asked and they shared a smile.

"But even after that, I kept running away. I told myself that I was just a lost girl with no home and I'd never have one again," Snow added, as she reached her for husband's hand.

"But then I realized eventually that I had found a home...it just wasn't a place. Your father risked his life to help me remember who I was and refused to let me do anything that would darken my heart," Snow reminded.

"But then you and Daddy were separated again when King George captured him," Emma muttered. Snow smiled.

"We were, but I still knew we'd be together somehow, despite stalled executions and poison apples. And that's how I know that you'll find us," David added.

"He's right...I know you feel like a lost girl right now, but you will find us and then we're going to change that for you," Snow promised.

"I love you guys…" Emma cried, as they hugged her between them.

"We love you too, baby," Snow soothed, as David cradled her head and they shared a sad, yet hopeful gaze that everything they promised her would come to pass.

~*~

Present Day

"We'll find a way to get to him," David promised, as he started toward the barrier, again to keep searching for a way in.

"Actually...I think I might be able to get in," Emma mentioned, as they looked at her and noticed that for the first time in the dreamscape that her hands were glowing with magic.

"Emma...your magic," Snow uttered in awe.

"Do you think it will work?" she asked with uncertainty. Snow and Charming beamed at her, as they hugged her close.

"Of course it will...you are a product of true love," he reminded.

"And if anyone can save Henry, it's you, sweetheart," Snow added, as they stepped back and joined hands. Emma felt the magic leave her fingertips and they watched it collide with the barrier. It took several tries, but finally there was a burst of energy and wall cutting them off from Henry disappeared.

"Henry!" she called, as she ran to get him. Snow and Charming followed, as she dodged into the flames and picked him up, before hurrying away from the fire. Without the confines of the cursed room though, the flames died and Henry looked up at her in awe.

"Mom?" he asked, as he looked around.

"Grams? Gramps?" he asked. They smiled, as they gathered around her to hug him.

"Yeah kid, you're safe now," Emma promised.

"You did it...you saved me again, Mom," he said, as he hugged her tightly. A tear slipped down Emma's cheek, as she shared a smile with her parents. Hope and faith, once again, had not let them down.

~*~

The next morning began as any other in Storybrooke, post curse. People were still very much trying to find themselves and reunite with loved ones. They were also trying to figure out their lives and what was next. It didn't make for a lot of business at the library yet, but Belle didn't mind. She still had a lot of work to do and knew business would eventually pick up when people felt more settled. After all, it was still just sinking in that Storybrooke would be their permanent home now, for going back wasn't really an option. Rumple had no desire to go back without his son and Belle had little interest in it as well.

Her morning would be spent stocking many new books she had ordered. Snow had introduced her to the wonders of the Internet and she was absolutely ecstatic to receive her order. She wasn't even sure how the mail service found Storybrooke, considering they supposedly didn't exist on any map, nor was the supposed zip code even registered. Rumple explained that it was all the magic of the curse, both simple and extremely complex in many ways.

Stocking the new inventory wouldn't take all day, but Snow was coming by in the afternoon and they were going to put up posters for her campaign together. Until then, she was content to work on getting the library ready. But to her surprise, she heard the library door open and looked to see if she had a customer, only to find no one there.

"Hello?" she called.

But Belle received no reply and it was eerily quiet. Someone was definitely there though, as she could feel the hairs standing up on the back of her neck. She swallowed thickly.

"Hello?" she called again and that's when she felt someone grab her from behind. She cried out and kicked the man with the spike of one of her heels in the shin. He grunted in pain, as she tore away from him. She looked back to see that a portly man in a dirty red stocking cap was her would be assailant. He started toward her and she pushed the book cart toward him. He evaded it and it crashed into the desk, tumbling over and dumping the contents onto the floor, as she ran toward the door. But he moved quickly for his size and caught up with her. The cloth in his hand went over her mouth and she instantly felt woozy from the chloroform soaked rag. She lost consciousness and Smee managed to drag her out back to his van, leaving the mess and sign of struggle behind…

~*~

What started out as a quiet day at the station for David and Emma after a routine morning patrol quickly changed when they got a call from the Rabbit Hole. Apparently well known troublemaker, Keith, also known as the former Sheriff of Nottingham, got into a fight. And now there was an all out bar brawl happening.

David and Emma arrived quickly and hurried into the establishment, just in time to see Leroy get tossed into a table. The angry dwarf clenched his fists and ran back into the mass of fighting men. The floor was littered with broken glass and most of the table and chairs were in pieces.

David shook his head in annoyance and then brandished his sword, as he jumped into the fray. He quickly split them down the middle and held his sword out to get them to stop brawling. Keith decided to move forward at that point to challenge David when he heard a click. He turned to find Emma holding her gun on him.

"Don't even think about it," she warned, as she took out her cuffs and cuffed him first.

"I'm assuming he's the one that started it?" David asked the bartender. The man nodded.

"Though your friend here didn't help," the bartender added, as he nodded to Leroy. David gave him an annoyed look.

"He called me short," he griped.

"Seriously?" Emma complained with an eye roll.

"You know better, Leroy. You're supposed to be representing the Sheriff's department, even off duty," David chided.

"I don't need a lecture, handsome," the gruff dwarf snapped.

"To be fair...you are short," Happy added.

"Shut it Happy," Leroy growled back.

"This jerk started the fight when he accused me of cheating, which I didn't!" another patron called, pointing his finger at the belligerent man.

"You did cheat, you little worm," Keith hissed.

"All right, that's enough. You're under arrest," Emma snapped, as they hauled him out to the patrol car. As David shoved him in the back, his phone rang and he answered it.

"Hey…" he said, noticing it was Snow.

"David...I think something's happened to Belle," Snow cried and he frowned.

"Okay...slow down and tell me what happened," he said.

"I don't know…I got to the library and it's a mess. It looks like there was a struggle and she isn't here," Snow said worriedly.

"Okay...stay calm. We're on our way," David promised, as he hung up the phone.

"Leroy, can you and Happy take Keith back to the station and book him or did you drink too much?" David asked. Leroy opened his mouth to come back with a saucy retort, but Happy put his hands up.

"I didn't drink anything...we got this," he assured.

"What's going on?" Emma asked.

"Your mother went to meet Belle at the library, but she's gone. And it looks like there was a struggle," David replied.

"Crap...you better call Gold. He's gonna lose his mind," Emma warned, as they hurried off on foot for the library, which was just a short jog away.

~*~

Killian Jones, also known as the infamous Captain Hook, so far found Storybrooke to be...strange from what little he had observed so far. But one thing that seemed the same between worlds was there were always taverns to serve people alcoholic beverages. Naturally, it had not taken him long to find one such establishment and he had to admit the rum was very decent, if not a bit weaker than what he was used to.

It also seemed that another thing that had not changed was the occasional brawl that often happened between patrons in such establishments.

For once, he had not started or instigated anything and was simply a bystander. Cora had warned him to lay low and remain inconspicuous, though his clothing certainly made him stand out. But he was no stranger to observing to gather intel. So when two people, a man and a woman, burst into the bar sporting star-like badges on their respective hips, he was intrigued to say the least.

Cora had no idea what the supposed Savior looked like, but she had described to him the physical appearance of her parents and the likelihood that she would be in accompaniment of one of them. So when the blonde, well built man pulled the belligerent man responsible for the brawl off another patron, he was certain that this man was the illustrious Prince Charming that had been described to him. And though they looked to be the same age, he could see resemblance between him and the female blonde, leading him to conclude that this beautiful woman was the Savior. He was intrigued to say the least. So far, for such a supposed small town, Storybrooke was definitely interesting and he had a feeling it was about to get even more so…

~*~

The worry on Snow's face was palpable, as they burst into the library just a few minutes after her call. She rushed to them both in relief and David hugged her close.

"It's okay...we're going to find her," he assured, as Gold hobbled through the entrance with Persephone and Jefferson following.

Emma knelt down and looked around the toppled book cart.

"Whoever did this is going to wish they were never born," Gold hissed.

"We'll find her," David repeated, as Emma stood up holding a dirty red stocking cap.

"Well...this definitely isn't Belle's," the blonde said.

"Any idea who this might belong to?" she asked. Gold clenched his teeth and snatched the hat from her.

"Oh I know exactly who this belongs to...a rat. A soon to be dead rat!" the Dark One hissed.

"Care to share who this rat is?" David asked.

"His name is Smee...but he is merely a hired hand," Gold replied.

"Wait...Smee? As in Mr. Smee and Captain Hook and all that crap?" Emma asked. Gold nodded curtly, as Snow came back.

"Red is on her way...she can help track Belle," she said, as David threaded his fingers with hers.

"I came as fast as I could," Red called, as she hurried inside. They handed a scarf that belonged to Belle to her and she got the scent and with that, they set off to find her.

~*~

Cora observed the heroes from the shadows, as she watched them follow the wolf girl in tracking some little waif that Rumple had allowed himself to become enamored with. It was disappointing of someone like him. She had warned him long ago about love and it's weakness, but it seemed he had fallen into those trappings. It was pitiful, but she would only be too happy to eventually rid him of his burden and take the dagger for herself. First though, she had to free her daughter from the prison that wretched girl had placed her in. And then the time for revenge would begin and would only end with Snow White's heart crushed to diamond dust in Regina's hand.

Then there was Persephone to consider. She had waited a long time to make her suffer and knew destroying her little girl and entire legacy was the only way to do so. When she had discovered years ago that Eva didn't actually give birth to Snow, it had no lessened her disdain for the little Princess. If anything, it made her hate Snow White more. The Princess had been born into a world that instantly adored her and never knew hardship, until her daughter ousted her from her perfect little bubble. But she didn't suffer enough.

Cora had struggled her entire life to become something and Snow White was born with favors from Gods and Goddess like her mother and grandmother, Persephone and Demeter. She knew for a fact that other patron Goddesses like Athena and Artemis would rally around Persephone to protect her precious little half breed spawn. It seemed only Hades shared her hatred of Snow White and Cora was determined to see that Snow White suffered and Persephone was made to watch it all. And Rumple would pay too for interfering as well and not allowing her to take care of the problem long before now.

Their distraction provided the perfect opportunity for Cora to whisk her daughter away from their captivity. Only then could their revenge be enacted, after all.

There was a gasp from Regina, as she witnessed her mother slither into the Sheriff's station.

"Mother...you're here," Regina uttered.

"Hello darling," Cora cooed, as she approached the bars.

"Oh, this will not do at all," she added, as her magic, which she seemed to have no trouble using in Storybrooke, swirled into the lock.

"Persephone did something to keep me in," Regina warned. Cora smirked, as the lock snapped open.

"Not to worry, dear. Hades' whore will have to do better than that soft magic she derives from her flowers and dirt," Cora responded snidely, as Regina was freed.

"You'll need to take out the cameras if you don't want them to know you're here yet," she warned.

"Cameras?" Cora asked. Regina pursed her lips. Right, her mother would have no idea about this world's magic.

"They record everything," Regina said, pointing at the two devices mounted to the ceiling.

"This world has its own magics that you're not familiar with," she added. Cora waved her hand and the devices winked out of existence.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't seem too happy to see me," Cora mentioned.

"Of course I'm happy," Regina refuted, as they hugged.

"Now...we must remain inconspicuous for a while until it's time to enact our revenge on the heroes," Cora stated.

"We can go to my home. A simple protection spell can keep them out," Regina suggested, as her emotions warred within her. Somehow, she knew instinctively that getting her revenge on Snow and Emma meant losing Henry and she didn't want that. Henry was everything, but she so wanted to make those wretched Charmings pay too. Her old mentors words echoed within her too.

Love and revenge...you can't have both, dearie.

But she wanted both...she wanted it all and as she spied a poster on the bulletin board, her anger swelled anew in her, as she glared at the parchment promoting Snow White for Mayor.

"Like hell…" she growled, as she ripped it away and turned the paper to ash. Slowly, she was getting the hang of magic again.

"Don't worry sweetheart, that little tramp isn't going to take the Throne that is rightfully yours and we'll make her pay for her insolence. Her and her whole family," Cora promised.

"But Henry…my son. I adopted him, but Emma gave birth to him," she uttered. If this revelation surprised Cora, she didn't show it.

"Henry will be yours," she assured.

"He'll hate me if I kill his family," Regina warned.

"No...we'll make him see that this is the only way. I have plans to make sure we both get everything we want," Cora replied. Regina smirked deviously, as they disappeared in twin puffs of purple smoke.


	48. Smoke and MIrrors

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 48: Smoke and Mirrors

The first thing Belle noticed upon waking was the smell of soot and when she opened her bleary eyes, she found her surroundings to be shrouded in darkness. And she was not alone. She heard voices, male from the sound of them and she lifted her head. Around her were walls made of rock and she looked down to find herself in some kind of mining cart. The mines...that's where she was. Then the memories all came crashing back to her. The portly man in the red cap had come after her and despite fighting her way to escape, he had put something over her mouth. The smell of the substance on the cloth had rendered her unconscious. But her mind still swirled with questions as to why. She had never seen this man before and had no idea why he might want to kidnap her.

Most in this town knew Rumple well enough to know that doing something like this to someone he cared about was as good as a death sentence, never mind that she would never approve of killing under any circumstance. But when she heard her name, things started to become horrifyingly clearer. Especially when she realized her wrists were handcuffed to the inside of the cart

"Belle…" Moe uttered, as he noticed she had awakened.

"Father...what's going on?" she demanded to know.

"Relax Belle...I promise you'll understand soon enough. This is for the best," he said. She looked at him with confusion written on her face.

"For the best? What does that mean?" she asked again in a demanding tone.

"That monster will ruin you. You will be better off forgetting him again...you were going to leave him behind before and it would have been the best thing for you," Moe explained. She stared at him in disbelief.

"You don't get to decide what is best for me! This is wrong, father! Let me go!" she pleaded.

"I'm sorry Belle," he apologized, but she didn't believe he meant it.

~*~

Cora looked around Regina's home with an impressed air about her.

"A lovely home...you've done well for yourself, dear," Cora mentioned and Regina found herself resisting the urge to preen under her mother's scarce compliments.

"Thank you, Mother. It is this world's version of a castle," she replied.

"Yes...now our real work begins. Persephone and her precious daughter must pay," Cora added. Regina frowned.

"How long have you know that Snow is Persephone's daughter?" Regina asked with scrutiny.

"For many years now...I'm actually the one that told Leopold that his fair little retch wasn't actually his," Cora responded. Regina's eyes widened.

"Leopold knew?" she exclaimed, as she clenched her teeth.

"Of course dear. I wanted him to know exactly who the daughter he doted upon really was and where she came from. I wanted him to realize that the pride he had in thinking she was his little girl was untrue; that his heir was illegitimate. My only regret is not being able to tell Queen Eva the same," Cora responded.

Regina was stunned. Were she and Snow the only ones that didn't know about her true heritage? For she knew if her mother and Leopold knew that Rumpelstiltskin certainly knew, probably from the time Snow was born, knowing the imp. It didn't matter though. It didn't change the fact that Snow still needed to pay. She and her perfect little family had taken Henry away from her and turned him against her. And that would not stand. But it had to be done carefully.

"Mother...we must be cautious on how we deal with the Charmings. Not only is Persephone powerful, but Henry will hate me forever if I kill his family," she mentioned.

"I've been waiting a long time to deal with the woman that cursed us with that wretched girl,"

Cora cooed.

"And Emma and her parents. We can't just kill them," Regina reminded..

"Yes, we can," Cora stated. Regina's face fell.

"Don't worry, dear. Henry will be made to understand that what we're doing is for his own good," she added. A cold chill slithered down Regina's spine at those words. Her mother had killed Daniel for her own good. She had accepted Leopold's proposal for her own good and put her on the Throne for her own good. And somewhere, deep inside Regina, the need to protect Henry from her mother bloomed. But turning against her would spell only her own doom and the need to still make Snow and her perfect little family pay was still very present. There was a war inside her, a war she had not felt since before she had descended down the path from young Queen Regina to the Evil Queen. She clenched her fists and her anger at Snow threatened to boil over. It was so much easier to hate her step-daughter and blame everything on her. Yes, if Snow was gone, then her problems would be solved. But deep down, she knew that wasn't true.

Maleficent had warned her about casting the curse and the emptiness it would leave inside her. And it had...it was an emptiness that not even Henry had completely filled. She thought he had, but that was when the curse was keeping everything and everyone in order. But now...it was all gone and again, because of true love's kiss. She was sure other villains were somewhere laughing at her being defeated now twice by something such as a kiss.

With Persephone protecting the Charmings though and David's weird pseudo friendship with Gold, there was no way she could take all of them on without her Mother's help. Could her Mother really be the lesser of two evils?

"Mother, we must handle Snow's demise delicately. It's very important. Her husband has developed somewhat of an unlikely friendship with Rumpelstiltskin," she informed. Cora seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"Perhaps, but I have something he wants and I assure you that he won't bat an eye at tossing his friendship with some pauper turned prince when he sees what I have," Cora promised. Regina swallowed thickly.

"Then what do you plan to do to Snow?" she asked. Cora smirked.

"Let's just say that I happen to know that the plant I used to have in Eva's court is somewhere here in Storybrooke and I believe it's about time that she come back to work for me. She failed to help me undermine Snow White when she was a girl, but this time, she'll help us see to a very tragic demise for her," Cora stated in a pleased tone.

~*~

Red led them through town, tracking Belle's scent from the article of clothing provided. David's phone buzzed insistently again and he finally answered it.

"What is it, Leroy?" he asked.

"It's the Queen...she's gone," he reported. Snow watched her husband's expression go from concern for the task ahead of them to hard edged and rigid.

"Check the cameras," he ordered.

"Yeah...those are gone," he reported. David clenched his teeth.

"Dammit...we'll be there as soon as we can," he responded, as he hung up.

"Regina is gone," he growled, as he balled his fist.

"What?!" Emma cried.

"The cameras are gone too…" he added.

"Gone?" Snow asked.

"Like magic," he answered bitterly.

"I'll go to the station and assess the situation while you all keep looking for Belle. Obviously, Regina found a way through my magic and I'll need to see the cell to determine how," Persephone said. Snow nodded, as her mother squeezed her hand and then disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke.

"You should have let me take care of her from the beginning and this wouldn't be a problem," Gold growled.

"This isn't the time to play the blame game...and killing her is still wrong," Emma countered, as they stopped near the Game of Thorns flower shop.

"Red?" Snow asked.

"The scent...it's muddled now. It's the flowers…" she said, as she struggled to keep the scent. David looked to Gold and saw he was seething with barely contained rage. He stepped into the shop and found it empty.

"You think he's behind this?" David asked.

"Oh, I know he is, dearie. Suspend your thinking that a father would never abduct his own child. Sir Maurice is not you," Gold replied.

"What the hell does he get out of kidnapping his own daughter?" Emma wondered.

"To keep her from me," Gold responded, like it was obvious.

"Yeah...but keeping someone under lock and key isn't as easy as it sounds. He knows we were gonna check his shop and his home. If I had to guess, they're not there either. So where would he keep her?" Emma reasoned. Just as she said that, Snow noticed something on the ground and knelt down.

"What is it?" David asked.

"I think it's part of a footprint. Whoever's shoe it was is really dirty," she mentioned, as they looked at the substance on her fingers.

"That's soot...I know where he took her," David said, as they hurried off after him.

~*~

Persephone rushed into the station, where Leroy and Happy were in the process of locking Keith up.

"Well...hello doll face," he leered. She glared at him.

"Call me doll face again and I assure you it's the last thing you'll ever be able to say," she snapped, as she waved a hand over the lock on the other cell where Regina had been.

"What are you doing?" Happy asked curiously.

"Trying to figure out what magic was used. The spell I used isn't easily nullified," she explained.

"Ain't it obvious, sister? Regina got out and then blasted the cameras," Leroy retorted.

"No...she didn't. All magic leaves a signature and this is not Regina's," Persephone replied.

"Then who would have freed her?" Happy asked. Persephone swallowed thickly. Thankfully, she knew it wasn't Hades. She'd know his mark anywhere, but the sinking feeling in her didn't disappear. She didn't know her signature, but instinctively she knew it had to be Cora. She was the only one that would have the magic to free Regina. She almost felt faint at that. They had expected her to eventually find a way to this land, but they had not expected it to be so soon.

"I have to go," she said, as she disappeared and then reappeared in front of Regina's house.

"Cora...I know you're here…" she called. But there was no answer.

"So...that's how you want to play it? Lurking from the shadows...fine by me. Just know that if either of you hurt my family or think of employing anyone else to do so...I won't hesitate to turn you to mulch!" she called with vehemence. She let her warning carry for a few beats, before she disappeared again.

Cora peeked through the curtain with a smug smirk. The Goddess was unnerved by her presence in town, which made staying concealed for now all the more fun. Like a game of cat and mouse, with her as the cat of course. As matriarchs of their respective families, Cora could already feel the coming stand off between her and the Queen of the Underworld. And she relished it. She couldn't wait to cause Snow White to lose yet another mother and give her everything she so justly deserved. Of course, that meant making the Princess truly suffer by taking away what she loved most. Her Prince Charming and lovely daughter. And then, only when Snow White was finally nothing more than a broken shell of a girl at her feet, would she grant her the release of death by allowing Regina to finally crush her heart.

"Let the games begin," Cora said quietly to herself.

~*~

"Father...you have to let me go! This is wrong!" Belle pleaded.

"I know it seems that way now, Belle. But I promise this is for your own good," Moe reasoned.

"You don't get to decide that! You cannot continue to try to force me to live the way you want me to. Why can't you understand that?" Belle exclaimed.

"Belle…" he started to say again.

"No! This is my life and if you do this, then you are the true monster!" she interrupted.

"Belle...that beast is the monster! I don't know what he has done to you, but this will fix it," Moe said. Her brows furrowed in confusion, as she watched him put a hand on the lever that controlled the mining car.

"Father...what are you doing?" she asked fearfully.

"Sending you over the town line. At least as Lacey, you can be free of that beast. Even if you leave and I never see you again, at least I know that monster won't be ruining you," he replied. Her mouth dropped open in shock, as he admitted he'd rather never see her again than allow her to be happy as herself.

"Please don't do this...I have friends! I don't want to leave them again!" she pleaded.

"This is for the best, darling," Moe said tearfully, as Emma and David rushed in with Snow and Gold behind him. Moe hit the lever and the car started speeding away, as Belle screamed. Emma drew her gun and pointed it at Moe, making him move away. David stopped the mining car and ran down the tunnel. The car screeched to a halt, barely a few feet before the line and a frantic Belle looked up.

"Belle?" he asked. She breathed in relief and nodded.

"Still Belle," she confirmed, as he unlocked the cuffs and lifted her out of the car. When they returned, she saw Emma had cuffed her father and she ran to Rumple, as he enveloped her in a hug. Snow sighed in relief, as she felt David's arms encircle her waist and she leaned back against him, relishing it, as he pressed a kiss to her hair. She turned in his arms and he cuddled her against his chest, folding her into his arms.

Dark magic swirled in Gold's palm, as he threatened to virtually vaporize Moe for what he had done.

"Rumple...no," Belle pleaded.

"He needs to pay, Belle. How can you defend him after what he almost did to you?" he growled.

"I'm not...but I don't want you to kill him," she countered.

"No...he has to pay," Rumple argued. But she put a hand on his forearm.

"And he will...because I never want to see him or have anything to do with him. Ever again," she said firmly.

"Belle…" he started to plead, but she put her hand up.

"No...just stop," she said, cutting him off.

"Belle...I'm your father," he reminded.

"No...you're not. Father's do not do what you just tried to do," she hissed. Emma nodded.

"She's right…" Emma agreed.

"And you think you know so much about father's, Miss Swan? Or mother's for that matter?" Moe questioned, glancing at Snow and Charming. Emma smirked and gave him a smug glower.

"Oh yeah...I know about having parents, in a way no one ever expected. And my parents...they'd never even think of doing to me the things you've done to your daughter. They're real parents, who love and support me, no matter what. If I thought you weren't a lost cause, I'd say you could learn a whole hell of a lot about parenting from them. But...I don't think you're worth their time," she replied. The looks on Snow and Charming's faces at that clearly stated they were both surprised and touched by their daughter's staunch defense of them.

There had been times over the years in the dreamscape that they had truly felt like horrible parents. There were even times in Emma's anger that she had told them such. And though, they knew she hadn't meant those words at the time, it was never lost on them that in many ways, she could have been right. So to hear her so passionately defend them nearly brought them both to tears. It's not something they would expect from her, so perhaps that was exactly why she believed they deserved such. Emma may have saved them all, but Snow and Charming were determined that there would not be any more challenges or battles that she would face alone.

Moe could only glare at her though and Emma never really expected to get through to him. She had a feeling he was just one of those people that would never change and this instance, perhaps Belle would be better off without him in her life. It wasn't for her to say, but she certainly wouldn't blame the brunette if she truly did cut him out of her life.

"Let's go...you can have your phone call at the station, because I'm booking you for conspiracy to commit kidnapping. And if I manage to get to the rat you hired to do the job before Gold, he's going to jail too," she informed, as she marched him out of the mines and back toward town.

Snow and Charming followed behind Belle and Gold with their arms around each other's waists. They couldn't help but exchange looks filled with so much love and emotion that anyone noticing probably would have felt like they should avert their eyes, for the looks passing between them seemed so intimate.

Unfortunately, when they reached the station, they found a nearly frantic Persephone waiting for them.

"What's wrong?" Snow asked in concern.

"Besides Regina being gone," David added.

"Because I don't think Regina was the one that freed herself," Persephone responded.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I thought you said she couldn't get through your magic?" Emma questioned, as they took Moe into the station and locked him up.

"She can't, which is why I don't think she did," Persephone responded, as she watched Gold hobble over to the cell that had once held her and examine the lock. They shared a knowing look.

"Then who did?" Emma asked.

"Cora…" Gold hissed and Snow felt dread knot in her stomach.

"She's here?" she squeaked, as she felt Charming's arms encircle her waist again.

"I'm afraid so, snowdrop. I knew she'd come...I was just hoping for more time," Persephone replied.

"So...if she's here and hasn't shown herself yet, what's her ploy?" David asked.

"She is patient...she'll lurk in the shadows and bide her time until she's ready to make her move. What that move will be...is uncertain," Gold responded.

"He's right, which means none of us should move about the town alone, no exceptions," she warned, as she looked to Gold.

"And you…" she started to say.

"She's going to come to you wanting to make a deal," Persephone warned.

"And she has nothing I want," Gold retorted.

"Really? So when she offers you the globe that will allow you to pinpoint Baelfire's location, you won't sell us out?" she challenged. He went silent and Belle looked at him in disbelief.

"Rumple!" she scolded.

"How can you expect me to turn down an object that will allow me to find my son?" he questioned.

"Because the price is too high!" Belle exclaimed.

"Or maybe you don't turn it down," David said, earning incredulous looks from all the women in the room.

"Do you think you could play double agent?" he asked, cluing them in on a plan of sorts.

"You want to double cross Cora? That's gutsy, even for you, dearie," he warned.

"What other choice do we have? She's going to come to you and probably evade the rest of us until she's ready to strike. Let's not let her get the drop on us," he suggested.

"I think the question is what is she going to want from you in exchange for that globe?" Snow asked.

"Probably a truce. A promise that I won't kill her on sight," Rumple responded. Emma's brow furrowed.

"What did she do to you?" the blonde asked.

"Never mind...making deals with Cora is almost as bad as making deals with Hades. However...without that globe, I might as well kiss the possibility of finding my son goodbye," he replied bitterly.

"Cora may say she wants a truce, but you and I both know she only wants that for one reason," Persephone countered. He nodded evenly.

"The dagger," he agreed.

"The dagger?" David asked.

"Quite simply, should Cora find my dagger and use it to kill me, then she becomes the Dark One. And I don't think I have to tell any of you what that would mean for all concerned," he responded. There was dead silence, as they let that sink in.

"What do we do?" Emma asked, breaking the silence.

"When she comes to you...let her convince you into a truce and get the globe. Let her think she's in control and then we track her. Once she thinks she has you at a truce, that's when she'll search for it," Persephone reasoned. Gold nodded.

"It sounds like it's our best bet, even if there's a lot of room for things to go wrong," David mentioned, not missing the troubled look on his wife's face. Emma checked the time and started for the exit.

"I gotta get Henry. He'll be getting off the bus any minute," she mentioned. The others followed, with Gold and Belle returning to the shop and Persephone letting her daughter and husband have a few moments alone.

"Snow…" he started to say.

"Cora is evil…" she blurted out.

"I know," he responded.

"No Charming...you don't know what she's like! She used my dead mother to manipulate me into telling Regina's secret. Then she killed Daniel in front of Regina," she reminded, as he put his hands on her arms.

"She won't stop until she takes away everything I love...everything her own daughter loves. That means Henry, Emma, my mother…" she lamented, as she trailed off and tears filled her eyes.

"You…" she finally managed to choke out, as he folded her into his arms and kissed her hair.

"I know you're scared...I am too. I'm terrified of losing you and our family. I don't even want to think about my life without you..I lived that when I thought we couldn't be together back in our land," he confessed. A tear slipped down her cheek and he brushed it away.

"I know...so did I," she recalled.

"Without you...I felt dead inside," he continued.

"I took a potion to forget you...it was the worst mistake ever," she reminded. He smiled gently and caressed her cheek.

"I understand why you did...I was in misery without you, but that's why I'm going to fight with everything I have for you...for Emma and Henry. Because I refuse to ever be separated from you again," he said passionately. She swallowed.

"And I'll fight for you...even if it means ending Cora myself," she realized darkly, before her green eyes flicked up to him again. She could see his worry, but he brushed it off.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," he replied.

"But if it does, I will do it...I will do anything for you," she promised. He hugged her close at that.

"And I you," he confessed, as he slowly led her out, tucked closely to his side.

They joined their daughter and Snow's mother at the bus stop to greet their grandson. He dipped his head down to capture her lips in a tender kiss, just as the bus pulled up and deposited Henry. With that, the five of them headed home to the loft.

~*~

Regina parked her car on the curb. A simple glamor spell had disguised her easy recognizable car as something less conspicuous and they watched Emma arrive at the bus stop with Persephone.

"These carriages are strange," Cora commented.

"They take some getting used to, but I've found they are a preferable way to travel when magic isn't an option," Regina said idly, just as they spotted Snow and Charming join the other two women at the bus stop, arms around each other.

"Ugh...are they always this nauseating?" Cora complained.

"Yes...as a matter of fact, they are. True love…" Regina said, hissing the last part with contempt.

"Love is weakness, darling. True love will be Snow White's undoing," Cora stated.

"Believe me, I've tried to get rid of her Charming multiple times, but that love always seems to save them," Regina warned. Cora smirked.

"Yes...Snow White seems quite willing to do whatever is necessary for him. It will be interesting to see how far she really will go," the former Queen of Hearts cooed. Regina gave her mother an odd look in response, but Cora didn't elaborate.

"It's time to find the person I asked you about earlier," she added. Regina nodded curtly and started the car, all while casting a longing look at Henry's retreating form.

"Don't worry sweetheart, you'll get him back and then everyone that has crossed you will pay dearly," Cora promised. Regina resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably and then slowly drove off for their intended destination...


	49. Deception

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 49: Deception

Two weeks. Two weeks has passed since they rescued Belle and two weeks since Regina had disappeared, seemingly without a trace. It was a very uncomfortable peace, but for the most part, they had proceeded to move on with their lives. They had a constant dwarf patrol on Regina's mansion, but not one soul was seen physically coming or going from her house. They knew better, of course and remained diligent.

With time moving again and people settling into new lives, post curse, it was clear that an election for Mayor was simply a formality and held just the day before. Snow won over Midas in a landslide victory, still surprising the somewhat still unsure Princess. But Persephone told her it really was no surprise at all. Snow had fought for them and made sacrifices for her people that other leaders never had. Despite her family's support, Snow was still unsure about her rule, but was glad to have her mother beside her to help her navigate this new world. David and Emma continued to run the Sheriff's station and had their share of issues to deal with. Some people were still in unrest and trying to figure out their new lives. It often led to domestic disputes and civil quarrels, but somewhat normal duties for a law enforcement team in a town with magic. Henry also continued going to school, and though he did ask about Regina here and there, he was happy living with his biological family.

They were just beginning to discover what it was like to live together as a family. Though they loved the loft, it was cramped with five of them and a dog, even with magical extensions. And now that families had shifted, there were a few vacancies now in town, but they weren't sure any of the houses were right for their family. And unfortunately, knowing that Cora was out there and Regina by her side still managed to cast a cloud over them.

Persephone could almost feel the looming storm stirring in her blood. She knew Cora wouldn't be silent much longer and she should have realized she would begin her siege on the very day that was so precious to Persephone. Her beloved little Snow's birthday.

Instinctively, David and Emma knew how Snow felt about this day, but this was the first birthday they would be spending together outside the dreamscape. They also knew to tread lightly as well. They suspected it would be much harder for Persephone not to want to celebrate, but knew Snow would steadfastly reject even a hint of a party or gifts.

As she came out from behind the curtain that morning though, she eyed her husband with scrutiny, as he made pancakes.

"What's this?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just breakfast," he replied innocently and she cocked her head to the side, as she looked to her daughter, who was devouring a plate of pancakes and bacon. Then to Henry, whose cheeks were adorably sticky with syrup. The boy seemed to want to tell her something, but had probably been warned against any happy birthday wishes.

"I know what you're up to," she said, as she sat down with them. He kissed her temple and put a plate in front of her.

"I swear it's just breakfast, my darling," he promised.

"Pancakes during the week...right. I know you, Charming," she responded, but proceeded to eat anyway. He had gone through the trouble and she would never miss an opportunity to sit down with Emma and Henry, even on this day. He sighed.

"We love you...and we love showing you how much, even on this day," he said. Her irritation deflated a little and she nodded gratefully.

"Okay...but there better be no party or gifts or anything. You know how I feel about celebrating this day," she said with vehemence. He held his hands up in surrender.

"We promise," he assured. The true test came when Persephone joined them and all present could definitely sense a tension between mother and daughter.

"You're not even going to let me say it, are you?" the Goddess asked. Snow shook her head.

"I really wish you wouldn't…" she replied.

"Snow…" she started to say.

"No...she may not have been my real Mother, but she raised me and she died on my birthday," Snow argued. Persephone took her hands on her own.

"She was just as much your mother as I am. Eva came to be a very good woman and she instilled that goodness in you. I couldn't have asked for more from her. This day...I know it has much sadness, but your birth on this day was my greatest joy," she said.

"How can you say that?" Snow asked.

"How can I not?" Persephone countered.

"Because...I was born with a death sentence on my head and you had to give me away. How does this day not make you sad and angry?" Snow asked. Persephone gave her a watery smile.

"There are things about this day that are very hard...I both gained and lost you on this day. I mourned that your real father would never see you...how fair you were. You took my breath away the moment I saw you," she recalled.

"Then my Mother escaped with you and a piece of my heart went as well...but I absolutely do not regret this day. You are the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me," Persephone added, as she pillowed her daughter against her chest in a hug. A few tears escaped down Snow's cheeks.

"That day...I learned that there is love at first sight and though it was heart wrenching, I knew that there is nothing I wouldn't do for you, even if that meant giving you up so Hades would never touch you," she explained. Snow sniffed and was about to say something when they heard a knock at the door. She opened it and found no one behind it, except a box made of crushed velvet. She picked it up and brought it inside, before opening the lid.

Tears filled her eyes and she struggled to keep from breaking down in sobs, as she took out a beautiful tiara.

"What is it?" Henry asked.

"It's a tiara...it was my...it was Eva's," Snow replied tearfully.

"It must have come over with the curse, after all," David said, as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Most items of any importance or value did and a lot of them are in Gold's shop," Persephone added.

"Why would Gold leave it on the doorstep? We're in his shop all the time and he may not loathe us, but he just doesn't strike me as the type to give stuff back," Emma said, as she read the card in the box.

"He didn't leave it...someone else did," Snow said. Persephone felt a spark of dread fill her. With Cora in town, it was just too coincidental.

"Snow...there's something I need to tell you and it concerns Johanna," she said, as they sat down.

"Is this what you wanted to tell us a couple weeks ago?" David asked. The Goddess nodded.

"I shouldn't have put it off, especially with Cora lurking. I should have known she would attempt something like this," she lamented.

"What does Cora have to do with Johanna?" Snow asked in confusion.

"Sweetheart...this is the last thing I want to tell you, because I know that woman was there for you after Eva died," Persephone began. Snow nodded.

"She was...father was grieving too and Johanna helped a lot," she said.

"Except that she was planted in Eva's court...by Cora," Persephone revealed. Snow stared at her for a moment, trying to comprehend what that could mean.

"I...I don't understand," Snow refuted.

"Eva and Cora had history that began before you were born," Persephone said.

"They knew each other?" Snow asked. She nodded.

"How?" Snow asked. Persephone closed her eyes, wishing that she didn't have to tell her, for it was about to shatter everything she knew and thought about Leopold.

"They knew each other...because before Leopold was engaged to Eva...he was engaged to Cora," Persephone revealed. Snow blinked and stared at her.

"That's...that's not possible," Snow refuted.

"Snow…" Persephone started to say.

"No...that can't be! My father didn't know Cora until he married Regina," she cried.

"I wish that were true, but he was once in love with Cora. He broke off the engagement when your mother revealed a secret of Cora's that she was hiding from Leopold," Persephone said.

"She told a secret?" Snow squeaked.

"I'm afraid so...but Cora's secret was not innocent. She blamed Eva for ruining her chance at becoming Queen," Persephone explained. Snow swallowed thickly. It was a lot to take in and she had a feeling there was more.

"So...what does this have to do with Johanna?" she asked. Persephone sighed.

"More than you know. Johanna, like everyone, has a past," she said.

~*~

Many Year Ago

One year after Snow was born

Today was a happy day in the Kingdom, a very happy day, or so it had been decreed by King Leopold and Queen Eva. The Kingdom had been blessed with a Princess one year ago on this day, during the worst snowstorm the Kingdom had ever seen. The King and Queen doted upon their perfect little bundle and she was already being called the fairest in the land. But this day was not a happy day for Johanna at all, as she lay flowers on the grave of her husband. For the King and Queen, this day was joyous and special. For Johanna, it was the day her husband had died in the service to Queen Eva's family.

He had been out in the storm that day, unnecessarily carrying out the orders of their royals to spread the word that their Kingdom had an heir to the Queen's family in the north, when an avalanche swallowed his carriage on his way back through the north passage.

The King and Queen had offered her family their condolences and even compensation in the wake of his tragic death. But their joy did not dull and their perfect world still spun, as they rejoiced in the birth of their precious Snow White. Johanna's world was shattered and forever changed though. She knew nothing would ever be the same again and she couldn't help but blame them.

"So tragic...another life ruined by that insipid girl," a female voice said, as Johanna whipped around.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"That's not important. What is important is that you and I have much in common, my dear," Cora cooed.

"I don't know what you mean," the other woman replied.

"Oh, but like you, I lost everything important to me, because of Princess...now Queen Eva," Cora responded. Johanna looked at her.

"You?" she asked. Cora nodded.

"What did she do?" Johanna asked curiously. Cora looked around like she was seeing if anyone else was around.

"I have a secret...a dark secret that King Leopold and Queen Eva would very much like to stay buried. Can I trust you?" Cora asked.

"Of course...it's not like I have anyone left to tell anything," Johanna replied sadly.

"Yes...I suppose that's true now, thanks to Eva," Cora said bitterly.

"What happened to you?" Johanna asked.

"I was once engaged to marry Leopold, but Eva ruined it by divulging a secret I had about a foolish transgression I had before I even met him. He rejected me and married her instead," Cora replied.

"That's awful," Johanna gasped.

"Oh it was...she did it deliberately and vindictively so she could be Queen. She stole everything from me, just like she stole it from you. We're kindred spirits, you and I," Cora said. Johanna swallowed thickly.

"They're happy...and today, the entire Kingdom celebrates the birth of the Princess, while I mourn the death of my beloved," the woman said bitterly.

"Yes...what if I told you there might be a way for us both to get revenge?" Cora asked.

"Revenge?" Johanna asked in confusion. Cora nodded.

"Yes...you see I managed to pick this up in one of the villages earlier," she said, showing the parchment to Johanna.

"Queen Eva is looking for a new handmaiden and a nanny for the Princess?" she asked.

"Yes...I think you should inquire about the position. I think you would be perfect for the job," Cora replied. Johanna looked at her incredulously.

"You want me to be near that woman every day?" she asked in disbelief.

"Have you ever heard the saying keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?" Cora questioned. Johanna nodded.

"I suppose so, but I don't see how the Queen will pay for what she did by me becoming a nanny to her perfect little brat," she responded. Cora smirked.

"Revenge takes time, my dear. But I can assure you that if we plant you in Queen Eva's court, then it will allow me to plot against her and get revenge for the both of us," she offered.

"It's wrong...revenge is wrong," Johanna refuted, no matter how much she wanted it. Cora nodded.

"So is injustice and Eva thinking she can ruin lives, just because she was born a royal and we were not. Think of your husband...he would be alive if not for her. Doesn't he deserve to be avenged?" she asked.

"Of course...but we don't even know if I will get the position even if I do apply," Johanna reasoned. Cora waved a hand over the parchment and handed it to her.

"Oh trust me...present this to Queen Eva and you'll be hired on the spot," she replied. Johanna took the parchment and her jaw set in determination. She looked at Cora and nodded. Instinctively, she knew revenge was wrong, but for the first time since her husband's death, she finally felt like she might have a purpose. And that purpose would be avenging her loved one…

~*~

Persephone finished telling her the story and looked at her stunned daughter.

"I'm sorry honey...I don't like having to tell you all this," she said.

"I...but this is Cora we're talking about. She obviously manipulated Johanna, right?" she asked.

"Oh I'm sure...it's what she does best. But Johanna making contact with you now of all times is too coincidental," Persephone replied.

"You think she's still working for Cora?" Snow asked.

"I know she is…" Persephone replied. Snow swallowed thickly.

"But...she was always so kind to me and she really helped me after my...mother died," she said.

"At Cora's insistence, she was told to remain close to you and she did until Regina chased you out of the castle. Johanna was dismissed then, but Cora had what she wanted. Eva was dead. You were suffering and Regina became the Evil Queen," Persephone replied.

"I...I need to go. I need to see her," Snow decided, as she got up and put her coat on.

"Snow...that isn't a good idea. It's exactly what Cora wants," Persephone warned.

"Is anything I ever thought about my life...at least my life before Charming, real? Or is it just one lie after another? One big deception?" Snow asked bitterly. Persephone reached out to her.

"Snow…" she started to say. But she shook her head.

"No...I have to do this," she refuted.

"Snow…" David tried to go to her, but she held her hands up.

"Please Charming...I need this. I'll be fine," she promised, as she hurried out. He sighed.

"This woman...Johanna, tell me she doesn't really blame Snow for her misery? Snow had nothing to do with what happened to her...or Cora for that matter," David said, a touch angrily.

"I wish I could...but they both hate Snow simply because she exists. Johanna won't show her true colors yet though...not if she is once again working for Cora," Persephone replied.

"Mom's not going to see her coming then. She's going to forgive her if Johanna asks for it," Emma reasoned.

"Then we'll have to watch out for her," David said. Emma sighed.

"Come on kid, let's get you to the bus," she said.

"Aw...I miss everything because of school. Come on Wilby," he called, as the dog followed them down the stairs.

~*~

As the shop door opened that morning, Rumple could feel her presence even from the back room. Cora carried an air of coldness and he could sense her magic from anywhere. In many ways, she was his most accomplished student with the true potential to surpass her teacher. And that's where Cora worried him deeply. He had created this monster and he wasn't sure if he could defeat her alone. Surprisingly, David's suggestion for him to play the double agent was a good plan. He just had to really sell it and he knew even as convincing as he might be, Cora might still see right through him. She knew his weaknesses better than any and that made him very uncomfortable. And as someone who had ripped her own heart from her chest, Cora had little weakness to exploit. He had to trust that between himself and Persephone, they could match Cora. The latter had little to lose though, while Rumple and Persephone potentially had much to lose; much that could be used against them by Cora.

He couldn't see the outcome either with his foresight. He was finding that even with magic returned to him here in Storybrooke that the future was very cloudy, probably due to magic being different here and the multitude of factors that might determine the future. He saw so many paths and none were clear. It was unnerving to him when he didn't have all the answers and he berated himself internally for not seeing these complications. Trusting others was still not something he did well, but in this case, he didn't have a choice.

Clearly, Persephone and her family were allies and Cora was the snake waiting to strike at them all as prey. If there was one thing he knew for certain, with Cora around, he did not have a future, nor did his family. And that meant only one thing. Cora had to die. And how they would accomplish that, he couldn't see. He was going into this blind and he only hoped she would buy his performance.

"Don't lurk in the shadows, dearie...it's not polite," he growled, as he stepped out from the backroom, finally coming face to face with her.

"Hello Rumple," she cooed.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show your face. You're never one to keep a low profile," he mentioned. She smirked.

"Sometimes it's necessary, especially when you need to study your enemies," she responded.

"You mean the Charmings and me," he retorted.

"Persephone and her little family are most certainly that. But I never wished for you and I to be enemies, Rumple," she cooed in return, as she stepped closer.

"Is that why you're here? To make nice with me so I won't vaporize you on the spot?" he questioned. She chuckled.

"We both know that you and I are quite evenly matched, as much as you hate to admit it. But yes...I am here for a truce of sorts," she replied.

"I suspected, but I'm afraid you have nothing I want, dearie. So kindly get the hell out of my shop," he growled.

"That's where you're wrong…" she countered, as a case appeared in her hand and she put it on the counter.

"I've heard you have somewhat of a friendship with Snow's peasant Prince. I'll admit it puzzled me...just what could you two even have to talk about?" she inquired.

"The Prince and I both love our families. Not that you would understand that," she retorted.

"Now Rumple...that's unfair. You know I love Regina…" she argued.

"If what you show Regina is love, then I pity her," he countered.

"Are you sure you don't want what is inside here? Are you really going to risk not finding your son to preserve some pitiful friendship you have with Prince Charming?" she tempted, as she took the globe out of the case. Despite knowing exactly what was inside, the surprise on Rumple's face was well acted. He gingerly reached out to touch it, but she pulled a way. He clenched his teeth.

"What. Do. You. Want?" he bit out angrily.

"A truce. You get the globe and in return, you do not interfere when Regina and I finally make Snow and her family pay," Cora responded.

"You really think you can defeat Persephone?" he questioned.

"Persephone's love for her family is weakness...it's a problem I have overcome. Regina will learn to as well under my guidance. For her precious Snow, the Queen of the Underworld will do anything and that is why she will lose," Cora responded.

"Well, then I wish you luck, dearie...you'll need it," he replied.

"Then we have a deal?" she asked. He glanced longingly at the globe and his jaw was set in determination.

"We have a deal," he confirmed.

"Shall we seal it like we used to?" she cooed. His stomach flipped at this. Kissing her was the last thing he wanted to do. It was betraying Belle, but if he didn't sell this, then it could endanger Belle later on. So he did what she wanted and they sealed the deal with a kiss. The look of smug satisfaction on her face was enough to churn even his stomach and he watched her leave with trepidation. Cora was one of those people he couldn't read very well, probably because there was no heart in her chest to betray any emotion. He had no idea if she really believed they had a truce and had a gut feeling that she was probably expecting him to double cross her later on.

"I hope you're ready when she comes at you, dearie," he said, as Persephone peered in from the backroom. The Goddess didn't look so certain either and that worried him even more.

"Me too," she agreed.

~*~

Snow spied the woman in her garden, as she approached. She was planting snowdrops and it instantly made her feel that perhaps her mother was wrong. After all, if Johanna secretly hated Eva, then why would she plant an entire garden full of snowdrops?

"Johanna…" she called out. The woman looked up and smiled brightly.

"Snow...my dear Snow…" she said, as she opened her arms and the raven haired beauty went into her arms. She sniffed, as they pulled back and she just knew her mother had to be wrong about this one. Even if Johanna had initially been prodded to take a job in her Eva's court by Cora, it was obvious that things must have changed.

"I never thought I'd see you again. Or this," Snow said, as she held up the tiara.

"Oh, I came across it in Mr. Gold's shop and I knew how much it meant to you. I knew you had to have it," Johanna replied. Snow had been in Gold's shop quite a few times over the last couple weeks and had never noticed it. But then she hadn't really been looking for it either.

"Mm...thank you. Oh, you're planting snowdrops," Snow said fondly.

"They remind me of you, because you were born during the harshest winter of all and they, like you, survive anything," Johanna replied, with the same fondness.

"That's why she named me Snow…" Snow murmured, now realizing that Eva's memory of naming her and the reason were actually Persephone's.

"I thought keeping the garden would be a nice way to honor her," Johanna mentioned.

"But you're aware that Eva wasn't my biological mother?" Snow asked. The other woman nodded.

"Yes, but Eva will always be your mother to me. She loved you so much," Johanna replied. Snow sniffed.

"I miss her," she said.

"Me too," the older woman agreed, as she brushed a tear away from Snow's cheek. A rustling noise was suddenly heard and Snow looked around curiously.

"What was that?" Johanna asked.

"Stay here...I'm sure it's nothing," Snow replied.

"Snow…" Johanna started to protest.

"Please...I'll be right back," she promised, as she trekked off toward the woods to investigate. She crept silently and peered into the clearing from behind a tree. Years in the forest made her quite adept at being absolutely silent. She had learned such to survive, of course, for if the game she was hunting got away, then Snow went to bed hungry that night. She resisted the urge to gasp, as she spotted Cora and Regina there. Suddenly, another man approached from the other direction and Snow didn't recognize him. But there was one thing about him that she did. For one hand, he had a hook.

"It's been a long time, Your Majesty," Hook greeted, as he bowed deeply to Regina.

"Hello Hook," Regina said in return, before turning her attention to her mother.

"Did he go for it?" she asked. Cora nodded.

"We made a deal. He has the globe and won't interfere with any of our plans," she replied.

"And you trust him?" Regina asked incredulously.

"Oh of course not, darling...but the globe will keep him occupied with finding his son, while we search for the one thing that can kill him...his dagger," Cora replied.

"I deserve to be the one to kill him...I've waited centuries to get my revenge on the Crocodile!" Hook spat.

"Lower. Your. Voice...the animals would only be too happy to wander into town and tell Persephone or her wretched daughter everything we're saying," Cora snapped.

"Now Hook...if you kill the Dark One with the dagger, then you become the new Dark One and I'm afraid that is a pleasure I'm going to reserve for myself. Once we have it and I'm the new Dark One, we can then eliminate anyone that stands in our way of having what we want," Cora stated. Regina looked unsure at best. Somehow, her mother becoming the Dark One gave her fear that went bone deep. But if it could get her Henry back and she could manage to get across the town line, they'd be free, for her mother would never follow her into a place with no magic. As for Hook, the look on his face was pure rage.

"You promised me revenge on the Dark One!" he shouted.

"He's going to die...isn't that enough for you?" Cora asked.

"No, it's not bloody enough...and you know it!" Hook growled.

"Perhaps not, but this takes precedence over your revenge. My daughter's son has been taken from her and that Charming little family...and everyone they care about must pay," she said.

"You can either help us bring about a new order and reap the benefits...or you can take your chances in going against us," Cora warned. Hook clenched his teeth, but was clearly relenting.

"Fine...I suppose watching the Crocodile die is something at least," he said, as he pointed a finger at her.

"But I want a good life here…" he demanded. Cora smirked.

"And you shall have it. But first...we must find the dagger," she said, as they trekked back toward town. The look on Snow's face was pure horror, as she hurried back toward Johanna's house. Suddenly, she heard a noise and froze in her tracks.

"Who's there?" she called, as a twig snapped. She jumped and started running, as there was someone now following her. She looked back though and saw that there was no one there. She stopped and looked around in confusion. Suddenly, she screamed, as she felt a hand on her arm. She turned, ready to punch whoever it was when she saw it was her husband.

"Whoa...it's me…" he soothed and she fell into his arms.

"Oh Charming…" she cried, as she felt relief at being folded against his chest.

"I know I probably shouldn't have followed you to Johanna's, but I was worried about you," he said, as he kissed her hair. She shook her head.

"No...I'm glad you did. I just saw Cora and Regina...we're in so much trouble," she fretted tearfully. He shared her troubled look, as he led her out of the woods. Once they were gone, Hermes appeared, as he removed Hades' cap of invisibility from his head and glared at their backs. He would have to wait for another opportunity...


	50. A Monster Made

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 50: A Monster Made

Snow and Charming hurried into the shop and Belle noticed the alarm on Snow's face, as did Jefferson. He had been scarce lately, as he had spent a lot of time catching up with Grace, but his daughter was having some one on one time with her mother today.

"What's happened?" she asked, as Gold came in from the backroom.

"Is that it?" David asked, noticing the blank white globe on the back counter.

"It is…she seemed to buy my act, though there is really no telling with her," Gold replied.

"I don't think she did," Snow blurted out, as Persephone and Emma hurried in.

"I got your text," the dark haired Goddess said.

"Me too," Emma added.

"I saw them in the woods...Cora and Regina," Snow said. Persephone looked instantly worried.

"Did they know you were there?" she asked. Snow shook her head.

"I...I don't think so, but it's bad," she fretted, as Charming put his hands on her shoulders.

"Tell them everything you told me," he said, hoping that his embrace could calm her. It did somewhat and she took a deep breath.

"Regina and Cora were meeting with a man in the woods, not far from Johanna's house," she began, as she glanced at her Mother. She wanted to believe that it was a coincidence that it was in such close proximity to Johanna's residence, but the look on Persephone's face told a different story.

"A man?" Belle asked.

"I've never seen him before, but he had a very identifying trait," Snow replied, as they looked at her expectantly.

"A hook for one hand," she added. Gold clenched his fist at that. So...Cora had brought the Captain with her, after all.

"Whoa, whoa, wait...a hook?" Emma asked incredulously, as they all looked at her.

"As in Captain Hook? He's real too?" she questioned.

"Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming," Jefferson quipped. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Hook has a known affiliation with both Regina and her mother," Gold provided. Snow and Charming glanced at him.

"And apparently one hell of a grudge against you from what Snow heard," he added.

"They're looking for the dagger...and Hook is very upset about Cora not allowing him to kill you with it. Because she wants to become the Dark One," Snow informed.

"Just as we thought then," Persephone surmised.

"He kept calling you the Crocodile…" Snow added. Gold was dismissive at that.

"We crossed paths some three hundred years ago. He wronged me and I repaid the favor," he offered vaguely. Persephone rolled her eyes.

"You killed your wife for running off with him and cut his hand off for humiliating you before you were the Dark One," she corrected. He clenched his teeth.

"My past grievances are not for you to air to the world," he growled.

"And this is not the world. They need to know why they might be caught in the crossfire with the war between you and Captain Hook," she snapped back.

"Yeah, especially if he obviously knows you have friends...and someone you love," Emma added.

"She's right...Cora has likely been watching us all, as creepy as it is to think about. That's what she was doing while we enjoyed a bit of peace these last two weeks," Persephone warned.

"So what do we do? How do we combat her?" David asked. She looked at Rumple.

"You need to get your dagger and then we send it with you across the town line when you leave to find your son," Persephone stated.

"Because it would have no power out there," Belle realized.

"An act like that will likely result in an attack from Cora...you'll need to be ready. And if I'm not here, you'll have to fight her alone," Gold warned.

"I know...especially since you'll need Emma to track him down," she added. Emma looked at all of them.

"Yeah...I'm more than willing to help. But leaving you guys with Cora on the loose and now this Hook guy? I don't know…" she lamented.

"I don't suppose I can convince you two to leave with them?" Persephone asked.

"As much as we want to go with Emma...we can't leave our people with this kind of threat on the horizon," David answered. Snow nodded.

"He's right...we have to protect our people. But I do think you should take Henry with you," she added. Emma nodded.

"Yeah...taking the kid out of this mess is probably a good idea," Emma agreed.

"I still want you two to drink the potions, just in case. Belle and Gold have already taken theirs," Persephone said, as she handed the vials of pink liquid to them. Snow and David popped the corks and each drank the sour liquid.

"It's time…" Gold said, as he opened a wall safe behind a painting and took out a long box. He opened it, revealing the dagger. Using it, he pricked his finger and let the blood fall onto the blank globe. They watched the droplet of blood fall with anticipation and when it stopped, they watched a landmass form. It was easily recognizable to Emma and she looked up at them.

"New York City…" she said.

"Pack for yourself and your son, Miss Swan. I'll make the arraignments and we shall leave tonight," he said. Snow and Charming looked uncertain, but hugged their daughter between them. Charming looked over at Gold and started to open his mouth.

"No harm will come to them...you have my word," he said. David closed his mouth and nodded gratefully.

~*~

Regina put the flowers on Daniel's glass coffin that she had kept in her family mausoleum all these years.

"We almost had her, Daniel or so I thought," Regina muttered.

"I cursed her and took away everything she loved...only to find out that she still had them in her dreams. But I had Henry...and that was enough," she murmured.

"Until she took him away again...her and her wretched family. She's taken everything from me again, just like she took you," Regina said, seething that Snow White was continually allowed to get away with her evil.

"So...you've kept him preserved," a voice said. Regina's face went ashen and she turned to find her mother there. She had only risked coming here when she thought her mother was occupied enough not to realize her absence.

"Regina...love is weakness. You must let this go," Cora chided dismissively, like Daniel was a mere object.

"He is here as a reminder...of what she did to me," Regina argued.

"Yes...but he is also holding you back from truly making her pay. Her life under the curse...she may have had no one, but you were far too kind to her. You gave her an apartment and a job. You could have gifted her to that God that was obsessed with her...yet you didn't. Her torment would have been constant with him...she would have been his virtual slave and yet you didn't," Cora admonished. Regina swallowed.

Subconsciously, as much as she hated it, she had protected Snow from a fate like that. The Regina that she insisted died long ago with Daniel protected the little girl she was so fond of from that horrible fate. As Leopold's wife, she had been trapped and she admitted that it would have been satisfying to trap Snow as well. Perhaps Rumple had seen to it that Snow's life wasn't complete hell during the curse. He needed her strong and ready to fight, not broken by a man that would have constantly raped her.

"I may have cast the curse, mother. But Rumpelstiltskin has always been pulling the strings. Your former mentor's fondness for the Charmings may have had a hand in that. He didn't want a broken Snow White, after all. She's of no use to him like that," Regina surmised.

"Mmm...very true. But I do want a broken Snow White. The question is...do you want that?" Cora asked. She looked at her mother incredulously.

"Of course I do...I want her to suffer…" Regina growled, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Then it's time to send a monster to finish the job," Cora said deviously.

"But Persephone trapped Damon...with Prometheus' chains no less. Not even our magic can undo that," Regina replied. Cora smirked.

"I'm not talking about that monster," Cora said, as she snapped her fingers. Dr. Whale appeared and looked appropriately confused.

"What is this?" he questioned.

"I'm in need of your assistance, Dr. Frankenstein. Here is a healthy heart and there is a viable body. Make your monster," Cora ordered.

"Mother…" Regina started to protest, as all Whale's equipment appeared around them. The doctor picked up the heart and eyed it curiously.

"Whose heart is this?" he asked.

"No one important...I took it long ago. They may not even be in Storybrooke," Cora replied dismissively. The doctor looked intrigued.

"Mother...I don't think is a good idea," Regina protested.

"No darling...this is exactly what we need. Only a true monster can rid us of Persephone's bastard child. It's only poetic that her life is snuffed out by this man...she caused him to die, after all," Cora said, as she turned back to the doctor.

"If I do this...then you'll get me back to my land? So I can find my brother?" he asked. Cora nodded.

"As we discussed. A deal is a deal, doctor," she agreed. With that, Regina watched in horror, as Whale fired up his equipment. His chemicals boiled and his beakers rattled violently, as electricity charged through the tubes now connected to Daniel's body. Whale held the heart up and them slammed it into Daniel's chest.

~*~

After the conversation at Gold's shop, they parted ways for the afternoon. Emma went home to pack for her and Henry, Persephone stayed to help Gold try to determine a more precise location within New York City to give them a starting point, while David had gone to the station to cover things there. As Mayor, she returned to her new office and though she had brought a few things from her desk at school and even hung a painting of her own, it still felt foreign to her. She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to this, but she was determined to do the best for the people that elected her.

Her mother's help was proving to be invaluable though, as she had helped Snow organize everything in a way that was very easy to follow, from budgeting, to licensing, and legislation. Of course, the true test would come next week during her first Council meeting. Her leadership would be put to the test then and so she began to work on the agenda for her first Council meeting.

A couple hours passed and Snow felt accomplished, as she worked diligently on the backlog of paperwork. Several new businesses would soon be opening, thanks to her granting new permits to people that had decided to forge new career paths now that the curse was broken.

One was for a young couple for a Cajun type restaurant. She recognized their names from a movie made a couple years ago, but she never imagined that they too had counterparts that were all too real. She was happy to grant a license to them and hoped Tiana and Naveen would have success in their new endeavors.

She was just finishing her first proposal when Henry arrived at her office surprisingly.

"Hey there...what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I got off the bus here...don't worry, I texted Mom. I wanted to see the office now that it's yours," he said. Snow smiled and motioned him over.

"I'm glad you came then...I miss seeing you during the day," she said, as she hugged him.

"I miss seeing you too, but this is better! You're going to help people," he replied. She smiled.

"I'm certainly going to try and I hope the Council will see it that way next week," she said.

"Why wouldn't they?" he asked in confusion, as he cocked his head to the side.

"Well...one of my proposals is to close Damon's club and get rid of the entire building. It's still being run by his cohorts and it might be a lot for some to swallow. It's a big first step to change though," she explained.

"But why wouldn't they want to do that if it's a bad place?" he asked.

"Well sweetie...it is a bad place, but Damon also funneled a lot of money into the town treasury from his business. It's dirty money that I want nothing to do with, but the Council might be worried about how we're going to make up for those funds. Especially when they find out what I want to replace it with," Snow replied.

"And what's that?" he asked curiously.

"I want to build a community center that also has a shelter for people in need. People are changing and new opportunities are needed, like training programs for people that want to start new careers or become more educated. Then my next step will eventually be hopefully to create an actual college or university here in Storybrooke," she explained.

"Wow...really?" he asked. She smiled.

"Eventually, but that's a long ways off and really ambitious," she replied.

"But why wouldn't the Council want all those things?" Henry asked.

"Well...it's not that some don't want it, but it comes back to funding, sweetheart. A community center would be non profit and though the money from educational tuition would help, it's still going to be a far cry from the money Damon used to pay," she explained.

"But that money came from bad things," he lamented.

"I know...but for some, it's just business and some of them benefited greatly from that bad money. Getting some to see things my way won't be easy and maybe impossible for some," she said.

"But you won't give up?" he asked. She smiled and ruffled his brown hair.

"No...I'll never do that," she promised. A sudden banging made them jump in surprise and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her first thought was that perhaps Damon had managed to free himself and a bone deep fear settled in her at that. She stood up and pushed Henry behind her, as the shadow of a figure could be seen at her door. She picked up a nearby lamp and readied it to fight.

"Grams…" Henry whimpered.

"Stay behind me, Henry," she ordered. But when the door was smashed open, confusion and a cold dread filled her, for she never expected the person standing before them now. That person was supposed to be dead and now he stood before them with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Daniel…" she uttered in disbelief. He growled unintelligibly and lunged for them. Snow cried out and grabbed Henry, as she rolled away.

"Henry run!" she called, as she pushed him toward the door. But he stopped when he saw the man hovering over Snow.

"Grams!" he called.

"Henry go!" she called, as she dodged Daniel's fists and kicked him in the shins. He growled and she scrambled after him. But he grabbed her arm and flung her back against the wall.

"NO!" Henry cried, gaining the attention of the monster and he slowly started to move toward the boy.

"Henry…" Snow cried weakly, as she tried to remain conscious. Through dazed eyes, she looked up to find Cora staring down at her with a smug grin.

"Time to finally give my daughter what she has always wanted…" the woman said, as her hand hovered above Snow's chest. But she suddenly found herself blasted away by lavender colored magic and she crashed into a chair.

"Step away from my daughter," Persephone growled. Cora got to her feet and a stream of magenta colored magic met a lavender one.

"Henry...come with me," Regina pleaded, as she stood in the doorway.

"No...you're doing this, aren't you?" he cried.

"Henry...this is for the best. I promise you'll see that someday," Regina pleaded, as Daniel growled.

"Daniel...no!" she cried, as he reached toward Henry.

"Daniel...you want to kill her! She's the one that did this to you...not Henry!" Regina tried to reason with him.

"That is not Daniel anymore, Regina!" Persephone cried, as she warred with Cora. Tears fell down Regina's cheeks.

"That may be his body, but you know his soul is gone. He passed through the Underworld long ago!" she cried.

"Because of your daughter," the Queen growled, as she stalked toward Snow's prone form.

"No...because of your own mother!" Persephone growled, glaring at Cora.

"He was in my daughter's way to the Throne...but now he will be the tool to the other obstacle in her way...your spawn," Cora growled back.

"Never...you will never hurt my Snow…" Persephone hissed, as she intensified her magic.

"Regina please…" Snow pleaded drowsily.

"Pleading for your life? I thought you were above that," Regina said smugly.

"No...Henry...get Henry…" Snow cried. The other woman turned to see her son putting his arms over his head, as Daniel towered over him with fists ready to crush him.

"Daniel...no!" she pleaded. But her hand shook and her magic refused to cooperate.

"HEY!" a voice interrupted, as David stood in the doorway now, with a gun trained on the monster.

"David...no!" Regina pleaded, as he cocked his weapon.

"He's going to kill Henry! Either you do it...or I have to!" David roared. Regina sobbed, nearly uncontrollably, but waved her hand and lifted her preservation spell. Daniel turned to dust then and Regina fell to her knees, sobbing, as he holstered his weapon and rushed to Snow, just as Emma rushed in and scooped Henry up. At that moment, Cora cried out in pain, as Persephone's magic nullified hers and burned her. She held her hands in pain and glared murderously at the Goddess.

"This isn't over," she promised, as she and a crying Regina disappeared.

"Snow...Snow!" David cried, as he lifted her up and placed her on her desk.

"She cracked her skull when she hit the wall...but fortunately, it's nothing I can't heal," Persephone said, as she poured her light magic into her daughter's wounds.

Snow's emerald eyes opened wide a few seconds later and she gasped. The tension and worry melted in David at that point and he hugged her tightly. He may have been relieved, but the overwhelming fear that he had just almost lost her again was still prevalent.

"I'm okay…" she promised, as he pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. He sighed again relief, as he pillowed her against his chest and kissed her hair. She relished his embrace and clung to him for dear life.

"That was Daniel…" she cried and he looked into her eyes seeing the haunted look and the shadows behind her eyes. He then looked at his mother-in-law.

"How is that even possible?" David asked.

"Yeah...and why was he acting like that?" Emma inquired.

"It's possible only one way...with Dr. Frankenstein's help and he's like that, because there is no soul in him. Daniel's soul passed into the Underworld and then peacefully onto Asphodel Meadows, a place where ordinary, but good souls go," Persephone explained.

"Whale had a hand in this?" David growled. She nodded.

"Cora likely threatened him though or made a deal of some sort," she replied.

"Well, that settles that. There's no way in hell I'm leaving town now," Emma decided.

"You have to," Persephone argued.

"She just sent Frankenstein's monster after my mother! And you want me to go now?" Emma cried.

"She's right honey," Snow said. Emma looked at her in disbelief.

"This just proves that we need to get the dagger as far away from a place of magic as possible," Snow replied.

"She just tried to kill you!" Emma protested.

"And I stopped her...and next time, I'll find a way to do it permanently," Persephone promised. Emma sighed.

"I hate this," she said, voicing her opinion. David put one arm around her and they hugged Snow between them.

"We'll be fine...it's almost time to meet Gold at the town line," David said. She sighed.

"What about Whale?" she asked.

"Oh trust me, after you leave, he's getting a visit from me and it's going to be unpleasant for him," David promised. She allowed herself a smile at that.

~*~

Cora and Regina reappeared in her house and the latter sniffed, as she mourned him again.

"That wretched girl...she did it again," Cora soothed, but this time Regina glared up at her mother.

"You did this, mother…" she hissed. Cora frowned.

"I was trying to help you...to finally get what you keep failing to get. Your revenge on that insipid girl," Cora snapped in return.

"By using Daniel!" she cried.

"I lost him once...and now it feels like I've lost him all over again!" she added. Cora's expression betrayed no emotion though.

"This is what I've warned you about time and again. Love is weakness and you needed to let him go," she said, as she slithered around the room. Regina looked up at her in disbelief.

"You did this on purpose...you wanted this to happen," she realized.

"It was for your own good," Cora said sharply.

"I knew the only way you would finally let him go would be if you were forced to save the one you love most now...young Henry," she stated.

"Henry could have died! You risked his life!" Regina cried.

"Oh no, I knew you or one of those idiots would save him. I was hoping at least to take one or more of them out in the process, but sadly, things did not go as planned," Cora said, observing the burns on her hands.

"Persephone defeated you," Regina said, a note of smugness in her voice. Seeing that her mother wasn't so impervious to failure was cathartic in a way.

"She caught me by surprise. Sometimes I forget the lengths she'll go to protect her child and that was foolish of me. After all, there is nothing I won't do for you, darling. We are the same that way," Cora cooed. Regina turned away though and felt the warring inside her greater than ever.

"Of course mother," she answered obediently. Regina knew there was no reasoning with her. Her mother always did what she wanted and got her way. She knew she had to ask herself some hard questions now. How long could she continue to go along with her mother, especially if she decided to take an interest in doing what was best for Henry. Because if Regina was one hundred percent honest with herself, even the thought of her mother anywhere near him terrified her to her very core.

~*~

Manhattan. That was their destination. They had managed to pinpoint the location of Gold's son to a three-mile radius in Manhattan. That was still a lot of people, but Emma could definitely work with it. She had already narrowed it down to five apartment buildings in the area that were likely cases for his residence. And that was just what she was able to do on her laptop.

"And you're sure it might be one of these five?" Snow asked curiously, as David drove them to the town line in the truck, following Gold's car.

"Well, this part of Manhattan isn't cheap and a lot of these buildings in this radius are home to higher income individuals or families. Now, there's no telling what Gold's son does for a living, but I peg him as an off the radar type of guy. So he probably makes an average income. And if that's the case, he probably lives in one of these five apartment buildings. They're more median income level," Emma explained.

"Emma...that's amazing," David said in awe. She smiled and shrugged.

"Just my experience in the bail bonds business," she replied. But her parents were always impressed by her abilities.

"I wish you guys were coming with me," she mentioned.

"Us too...but maybe next time. We are curious about this world," Snow said.

"Does that mean we can on a family trip soon?" Henry asked. Emma smiled.

"Yeah kid, I think we'll be able to manage that someday," she agreed, as they slowed and stopped just before the town line. They got out of the truck and loaded their luggage into Gold's trunk. Snow and David hugged them fiercely, as they watched them get into the backseat.

"Call us when you get there...even if it's late," Snow called. Emma nodded and smiled.

"I will," she agreed.

Belle waved to them and Gold slowly drove off, crossing the town line without consequence.

Snow and David watched the car with arms around each other until they couldn't see it any longer. Snow gave him a worried look, one he was sure matched his own, as he rubbed her arms.

"Come on...there's a certain doctor I'd like to visit right now," he said.

"David...I'm not sure it's completely his fault. Cora probably threatened him," Snow chided.

"And if that's the case, I'll only punch him once. Plus, I want to know if he knows anything else useful," he replied. She sighed.

"Okay...but only one punch. As Mayor, I can't condone you beating up our citizens, even if it is Whale," she said. He chuckled, as he opened the passenger door on the truck for her and she got in. He kissed her tenderly, sharing a heated gaze with her, as he shut the door and went around to the driver's side. With one last glance beyond the town line, he got in and turned them around to return to town.


	51. Child of the Moon

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 51: Child of the Moon

Once they arrived at the hospital, Snow hurried along beside her husband. His strides were long and purposeful, as he marched into the building on a mission.

"Charming...your legs are longer than mine," she chided, as she was practically running to keep up with him. He slowed slightly and looked over at her and she could see not only fury in his eyes, but fear. Fear of losing her and the anguish that would cause him.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized, as they maintained a bit slower pace. They entered the main lobby and then headed for the main nurse's station. The fury in her husband's eyes returned full force, as he spotted the doctor standing there, flirting with the desk nurse.

"WHALE!" he shouted. The doctor looked up and Snow witnessed his eyes widen in shock. She wasn't sure if it was shock that she was alive or shock that Charming was coming after him. Perhaps he thought he would be protected by Cora, though she doubted that would happen now since her plan had failed.

Whale put his hands up in surrender, but David grabbed him by his lab coat and slammed him against the desk.

"She made me do it! She's not exactly someone you say no to!" he pleaded.

"Snow and Henry were almost killed!" David growled in return.

"It's not my fault!" he retorted.

"So she threatened you?" Snow asked. Whale looked at her and then back at David.

"Not exactly...but she would have if I didn't agree! Instead...we made a deal," Whale replied.

"I knew it…" David growled, as he punched the doctor and he spilled to the floor.

"David…" she admonished.

"Dammit...you know she just would have forced me to do what she wanted anyway if I didn't make a deal. I thought...why not get something out of it?" he growled, as he touched his mouth, only to find that it was bleeding.

"What did she promise you?" David roared.

"A way back to my land with a viable heart so I could revive my brother," Whale responded.

"At the cost of my wife's life," David hissed.

"It was nothing personal...and it doesn't matter anyway. Looks like it didn't work so I won't be getting that deal," he spat in return.

"You're right...but you are going to jail," David responded, as he got his cuffs out and put Whale's hands behind his back. But he only chuckled.

"I don't think you want to do that," he warned.

"And why the hell not?" David demanded to know.

"Because if I go to jail, there is a man scheduled to have heart surgery in a couple hours that will die," Whale replied.

"What the hell are you talking about?" David snapped.

"I have patients, deputy. I'm actually the only real doctor in this whole place. The others...it's all curse memories. They can manage your average ailment or even treat minor to serious injuries. But none of them have actually done surgery. I have...I'm a real doctor and a real surgeon," Whale replied.

"And now that time is moving again, people are actually getting sick or needing medical attention," Snow realized. He smirked at her.

"You're definitely the brains of this operation," he said in a goading tone. Charming clenched his teeth at that, but resisted the urge to punch him again.

"You don't really want to be responsible for someone dying, do you Deputy?" Whale asked. David shoved him away.

"Fine...you're off the hook for today. But don't get the idea that being the only real doctor in this town gives you a free pass to do whatever the hell you want. You were ready to abandon all your patients to return to your land, so don't think for a second that I believe you give a damn about any of us," he said sternly.

"You don't know me," Whale retorted.

"Nor do I really want to, but know one thing, Doctor. If you ever do anything that endangers my wife or family again, I will lock you up and throw away the key, I can promise you that," David warned, as he turned away from him and back to Snow.

"I really don't like that he gets to skate on this," he murmured to her, as she put her arms around his neck and he held her flush against him.

"I know...I don't really either. But we do need a real doctor and it's not like we can hire one from outside Storybrooke," she mentioned. He nodded and leaned in to kiss her. She hummed in response, as their lips moved together passionately.

"If you two would not make out in my lobby, I'd really appreciate it," Whale commented derisively. Their lips parted and David looked ready to punch him again. But Snow kept her hold on him and distracted him with another peck to his lips.

"Come on baby...let's go home where we can do much more than just kiss," she purred sultrily, making sure the ass of doctor heard her. David smirked.

"Yes...there is much more than kissing that I'd like to do with you right now," he agreed, as they left with arms around each other and a purposeful stride.

~*~

Originally, Gold had planned for them to drive to the nearest airport and then take a plane to New York. But having to take the dagger with them created a conundrum. If they took a plane, he would have to find a place to hide the dagger outside Storybrooke. And he just wasn't comfortable with that. After all, he was not a man that left things up to the unknown. So it had been decided that they would drive. He was a patient man...what was a few more hours. Though this had been his plan from the very beginning, he could hardly believe it was happening. He also felt tremendous trepidation at facing the Land Without Magic. Sure, he had spent twenty-eight years in Storybrooke without magic, but only a few months of that time aware of it. And even then, Storybrooke was a place where he could control everything. Out here, there was absolutely nothing in his control and he couldn't predict anything. It was a true testament to what he was willing to go through to find Baelfire.

"What's New York like?" he heard Henry ask his mother curiously.

"Well...it's very large, which means that you have to promise me that there is no wandering off. It's nothing like Storybrooke. There are good people, but there is also very bad people. So promise me right now, kid. You won't leave my side," she said seriously. He nodded.

"I promise," he said.

"Other than that, I think you'll like it. The pizza is...well, it should be its own food group and there's so much to do that you could live there and never do it all," she replied.

"I can't wait...can we bring grams and gramps next time?" he asked curiously. She chuckled.

"You mean watch Snow White and Prince Charming navigate New York City. Yeah, that's a show I want tickets to," she joked. Truthfully, she knew her parents would do fine in the city and were curious. But if she knew them like she thought she did, they'd be glad to visit, but more glad to go home to Storybrooke.

"How much longer until we get there?" Henry asked.

"Still a few hours, kid. We'll probably be stopping and getting a couple rooms for the night," Emma said, as Gold met her gaze through the rear view mirror. Yes, without magic, he needed sleep too like any ordinary human. As much as he hated, he knew she was right. It wouldn't be much longer now at all though. He was finally very close to finding the reason he had come to this land in the first place. And this time, not even his fear was going to stop him.

~*~

Granny sighed, as she put the last of the frozen food outside the freezer.

"Girl...this is insane. I'm not chaining you up in the freezer!" the elder woman admonished.

"Granny...tonight is the first full moon since the curse has been broken. I haven't turned in twenty-eight years," Red reminded.

"You had control of it back in our land and you can get control of it here too," Granny stated.

"Or I could go on a rampage and kill someone. I can't take that chance, Granny," she pleaded. The old woman sighed.

"All right...I still think you should call Snow and Charming on this," she said.

"No...they're dealing with enough right now. They don't need my problems too," Red refused, as Granny did as she asked and chained her up in the freezer.

~*~

With Emma and Henry gone, the apartment was empty when they got home. A text from Persephone told them she would be home later, leaving them to their own devices. Which was good, because they had barely made inside. She was sure their neighbors didn't appreciate them making out against the door of their apartment for several moments, before they managed to get the door unlocked and stumbled inside.

Once they did though, clothes were peeled away with urgency and they hadn't even made it to the bed the first time. Instead, Charming pinned her against the wall and took her right there. It was hard and fast and desperate. Then they managed to find their way to the bed for another bout of slower, but no less passionate lovemaking. Snow was beside herself in pleasure and cried out wantonly for him, as he loved her with unrestrained arduous fury. And after, she lay half atop him, resting against his chest, with their legs tangled together and his hand stroking her naked back.

"This is definitely an evening well spent," she mentioned fondly and he smiled at her.

"Definitely," he agreed.

"We kind of skipped dinner though and I'm starved," she mentioned, as he watched her get up and put on the denim shirt he had been wearing earlier. God, she looked sexy in his clothes.

"How is it that you look better in my clothes than I do?" he teased. She smirked at him and padded to the kitchen, as he sat up and found a pair of his black sleep pants to slip into, not bothering with a shirt.

She made them grilled cheese, a definite sign that they were missing Emma and Henry, and just as they were finishing up, there was a knock at the door. He stopped kissing her neck, as his conquest to have her for dessert was interrupted by the knocking.

"Who is that this time of night?" he wondered, as he answered the door, shocked to find Regina there. She seemed shocked too by his state of undress.

"What the hell do you want?" he questioned.

"Charming…" Snow admonished, as she came beside him.

"Well, it looks like I interrupted something," she commented, taking in the sight of her step-daughter dressed in only her husband's shirt and the clothing that littered their floor.

"Are you here to finish the job your mother started earlier today?" David questioned bluntly.

"David…" Snow scolded. But he wasn't backing down.

"Cora tried to kill you...and she did nothing to stop it," he growled.

"Is that what you think?" Regina shot back.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to do what I did? But I did it for my son," she snapped.

"And as long as your mother is here...the danger will never stop. Henry was caught in the crossfire once already. Do you really think it won't happen again?" he questioned. Regina had no answer to that, because she knew he was right about that part. Not that she would ever admit such to him.

"I didn't come here to see you two idiots and believe me, I wish I could un-see all this right now. I came to see Henry, who obviously isn't here, so I'd like to know where your delinquent daughter has taken him, especially since it's well past his bedtime," Regina snapped.

"Emma left town for a few days and after what happened this afternoon, she decided to take Henry with her," Snow replied.

"She left town with my son?" she exclaimed.

"Her son too," David reminded and Regina gave him a sharp look.

"Yes...but they'll be back in a few days," Snow assured.

"She could have at least told me," Regina snapped.

"With all due respect, Regina...we haven't been able to find you lately. And Emma really doesn't have to tell you anything," Snow replied bluntly. Regina pursed her lips and resisted the urge to strangle the other dark haired woman.

"No...I suppose she doesn't," she said.

"Regina...your mother is poison. As long as she is here, none of us are safe, not even Henry. She hurts people…" Snow pleaded to her. But Regina didn't want to hear it.

"When they get back, I expect to see my son and you let me worry about my mother," she snapped, as she stormed down the stairs and David closed the door.

"Well...that went well," he quipped.

"I think with her...that's as good as it gets," Snow added. He put his arms around her and kissed her hair.

"Come on...before we were so rudely interrupted, I was having dessert, if I recall," he joked. She giggled, as he started kissing her neck again and yelped, as he swept her into his arms.

"Haven't you got enough of me yet?" she teased.

"Oh...no, I'll never get enough. Good thing we have eternity," he replied. She glowed with giddiness, as they fell to the bed and she again knew nothing but pure ecstasy, as he managed to make them fly again…

~*~

After finding a good place to stop her researching for the evening, Persephone grabbed a coffee at Granny's and walked through town. It was fairly quiet, probably as quiet as it had been since the curse broke and she found herself soon in front of Johanna's home. She knew a confrontation of any kind was probably not a good idea, but she had been waiting for opportunities like this for a very long time, after all. Too long had she been forced to watch her baby be manipulated and struggle to survive. Okay, and there was the fact that she knew her daughter and husband were probably taking advantage of quiet apartment for some alone time she neither wanted to intrude on nor possibly witness. Snow probably wouldn't be too thrilled with her, for her daughter seemed to trust Johanna. She admired that about her child. Even after all she had been through, she still wanted to trust people and see the best in them. But it was not something Persephone was able to do. She had spent too long in the Underworld, seeing the absolute worst in humanity and she could handle Snow being angry with her if it meant she was safe.

"Johanna…" she called, as she knocked on the woman's door. There was no answer and so she knocked again.

"Johanna...I know you are in there. We need to talk and if you don't answer, I'm coming in anyway," the Goddess warned. The door opened and she came face to face with the strawberry blonde haired woman. She gazed at the Goddess with scrutiny and stepped out onto her porch.

"What do you want?" she asked with trepidation.

"I think you know why I am here," the dark haired woman replied.

"I'm afraid I do not, Goddess. What could the Queen of the Underworld possibly want with a harmless old woman like me?" Johanna asked, but Persephone saw right through her innocent act.

"I'm here to discuss my daughter and any potential threat you might pose," Persephone retorted. The woman feigned horror and put a hand to her chest.

"I would never harm sweet little Snow," she claimed.

"Cut the act...I know you were planted in Queen Eva's court by Cora. You'll have to do better than that to fool me. I saw everything from my vantage point in the Underworld," Persephone warned. The mock horror on Johanna's face melted into a stern glare.

"I have nothing to say to the woman that is responsible for my husband's death," she hissed.

"You are still working with Cora…" she realized.

"Oh no, Cora cut ties with me when Eva died," Johanna said.

"You mean when she was murdered. You knew...you knew all about Cora's plan to poison her!" Persephone cried.

"I didn't know the specifics...only that she was going to pay for my poor husband's death. That was before I learned that it wasn't really her that was responsible," Johanna replied.

"I never meant to hurt anyone! My heart was shattered when I had give up my precious daughter and my powers reacted as such. I never meant for anything to happen to anyone because of it," Persephone pleaded.

"But it did...your storm killed him! And then I had to look a daily reminder of why, as the little brat pranced around the castle like a spoiled, pampered little princess," Johanna said bitterly.

"My Snow is to blame for none of this. She was child and soon learned humility," Persephone countered.

"Yes, I suppose you are right. Snow is a victim, like me. I admit that I hated that little brat, especially when she called me out for trying on her precious little tiara. But you're right...she became good and kind. But that's not really a consolation for me. My husband is still dead," Johanna replied.

"Because of me, not Snow. And as Queen of the Underworld, I can tell you that your husband's soul moved on to a better place. He had no unfinished business and is at peace," she offered.

"Still dead," Johanna responded bitterly, finding no comfort in her words.

"So...you are working for Cora again and you will seek revenge. I caution you against it...for it will not end well for you if you come after my Snow," she warned. Johanna flashed her a stony expression.

"We will both do what is needed and you may tell Snow of our conversation this evening. But will she believe you?" Johanna asked.

"I am her mother," Persephone replied. The woman smirked smugly.

"But I am the woman that raised her after Eva died. You gave birth to her; nothing more. We shall see who she sides with in the end," Johanna replied. But Johanna did not realize that Persephone had provided the dreamscape to her family and that meant everything to Snow. Still...if Snow insisted on having a relationship with this woman, it was going to cause her great worry. Doing anything to her at this point would backfire on her, for she could not yet actually prove any current connection to Cora yet.

"Choose your side carefully, Johanna. For if anything happens to my Snow because of you or that woman...you'll know the truth wrath of the Queen of the Underworld and I promise you a very unpleasant afterlife," Persephone warned, as she disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke. Johanna let out a breath as she disappeared and then jumped, as Cora appeared in a puff of magenta smoke.

"I am impressed...you handled her well," Cora praised.

"I loathe that woman...but she is a Goddess. Is there no other way to hurt her than through Snow?" Johanna asked. Cora rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me you've gone soft for that little retch?" the other woman questioned.

"It's difficult not to...I grew to care for her," Johanna replied.

"My, my...she's done it again. She's swayed yet another under her spell. And here I thought you wanted true justice for your lost love," Cora said.

"I do...Persephone must pay for what she has done…" Johanna refuted.

"And I assure you that the only way to truly make her pay is to destroy her beloved little Snow. So the question is...which side will you choose, Johanna?" Cora asked. The woman swallowed thickly. The pain of losing her husband had not dulled over the years, especially when she found out the truth. That Persephone had, for all intents and purposes, murdered him when she threw her tantrum.

"Snow will still trust me...despite her mother's protest. And I want her mother to truly pay for what she did to me…" Johanna decided. Cora gave her a pleased smirk.

"You have chosen well and I assure you that with me, you shall have your justice," she replied.

~*~

The next morning, Snow and David awoke to his cell phone ringing with a frantic call from Granny. They had rushed out of bed and showered hastily, before hurrying out with Persephone once Granny told them of the situation. Red had forced her to lock her in the freezer the night before and when Granny got to the diner that morning, she found the freezer door torn to shreds with no sign of Red anywhere.

Persephone used a locator potion on Red's cloak that they had picked up from Granny and they followed the garment, as it floated toward the woods. Snow and David followed her hand in hand. The worry on Snow's face was palpable and he squeezed her hand.

"We'll find her, my darling," he promised.

"There!" Persephone called, as they found her on the ground in a clearing just on the edge of the woods.

"Red!" Snow cried, as she knelt beside her.

"I think she's just sleeping," Persephone said, as she started to stir.

"Oh Red…" Snow said, as she hugged her.

"Snow…" she murmured and then shot up into a sitting position.

"How did I get out here?!" she cried.

"It's okay...you probably turned and headed for the woods," David replied.

"No, you don't understand! I don't remember anything! That means I wasn't in control!" Red shouted, as she started to hyperventilate.

"Red...calm down. You're fine...everything is fine," Snow tried to comfort.

"You don't know that! I could have hurt someone or worse!" she cried, just as David's phone rang.

"Deputy," he answered and then listened to the person on the other end. Snow watched the concern grow on her husband's face.

"I'll be right there," he said, as he hung up.

"What is it?" Red asked.

"Just a double parked car...nothing big. I need to go check it out," David responded.

"We'll come with you," Persephone decided. David didn't bother to protest, for he knew he was outnumbered three to one.

~*~

With Belle having left town with Gold and Emma, it left them easy access to the library. Regina met her mother and Hook there that morning, but Cora noticed her troubled expression.

"What is it?" Cora questioned.

"Henry left town with Emma," she reported.

"And you didn't stop them?" she asked.

"I didn't know until after they already left," Regina stated.

"I'm sure he's safe. And as soon as Gold's done, Henry will be back," Cora responded.

"Back? From where? Where's Rumpelstiltskin gone?" Hook interjected.

"I don't know," Regina said honestly.

"Well, if he's left town, then he's powerless. He can be killed," Hook reminded.

"The moment either of us leave, we lose our magic and our advantage," Cora reminded in return.

"Your memories?" Hook asked.

"None of us were victims of the curse. It's not about memories. It's about magic," Regina answered.

"Well, I don't need magic. I'll go after him alone," Hook snapped.

"Even if you could find him, do you really think you could just walk up to him and stab in the heart with your sword?" Regina demanded to know.

"Well, I'd prefer my hook," he retorted, as he held up his name worthy appendage.

"You're not going anywhere," Cora interjected.

"I deserve my vengeance!" Hook shouted.

"You're right, you do and with the Dark One gone, we can search for the one magical item that could actually kill him here," she stated.

"His dagger," she finished.

~*~

They arrived at the docks and David got out to investigate the car.

"Oh Gods...that's Billy's car," Red realized.

"So what?" Snow admonished.

"No...you don't understand, Snow! I was talking to him last night...he asked me out," she mentioned.

"Oh...did you…" Snow trailed off.

"No...Gods no! Trust me, that part of me, that part of Ruby is definitely not something I'll be continuing. It's just why would he leave his car out here? He lives on the other side of town," she fretted.

"And some of his friends work at the cannery. I'm sure it's nothing," Snow assured, as she looked out the window. She saw her husband look up and knew at that moment that it was definitely something. Unfortunately, Red saw it too.

"No...something's wrong!" Red called.

"Wait...Red!" Snow cried, as she followed her, as did Persephone and Granny.

"Don't come back here," he warned, but it was too late. Ruby screamed, as she saw the gruesome sight. Snow gasped at the carnage and David put himself in her line of vision, as she buried her face in his shirt.

"It's Billy…" she sobbed.

"I did this…" she cried. David hugged Snow and prodded her to Persephone, as she hugged her daughter.

"We don't know that," he admonished, as he covered the body with a tarp.

"No...we do. You have to lock me up! Now!" she demanded, as she held out her wrists.

"Red…" Snow cried.

"No Snow...you two have to stop protecting me and protect this town! Lock me up or I'll do it myself!" she shouted. With a heavy heart and great reluctance, David led her back to the car.

"I'm not cuffing you, Red," he refused.

"Fine...just lock me up then," she muttered, as they waited in the car, while David partitioned off the area. Doc and Bashful arrived in the medical examiner van, as the body was loaded into it. They had drawn quite a crowd and David knew that news that there had been a murder would spread through town like wildfire...


	52. Manhattan

Chapter 52: Manhattan

"Red...we don't know that it was you," Snow pleaded.

"She's right...we know you didn't do this," David agreed.

"I appreciate your confidence, but we all know that I did!" she insisted, as she stood in the cell.

"His body was ripped in half. What else could cause that kind of carnage?" she questioned.

"Plenty of things...you're not a killer," David admonished.

"I am David...I've killed dozens, including my own boyfriend," Red retorted.

"But that was before you learned to control it," Snow reminded.

"But I haven't turned in twenty-eight years and I have no memory of last night. That tells me that I don't have control! Now close the cell door!" Red pleaded. David sighed.

"Okay…" he agreed.

"David!" Snow admonished.

"No...maybe this good, because after I conduct my investigation today, I'll find out who the real killer is and then release you in the morning," he said. Snow smiled at him, as George stormed into the station.

"Get out…" David growled.

"Well...I see you've actually done your job and locked that thing up," the former King spat.

"She is not a thing!" Snow replied hotly. But she was ignored.

"Whatever issues you have with me...they don't extend to her. We have no proof that Red had anything to do with what happened," David stated. George shook his head.

"As usual, Shepherd, you're allowing your emotions to cloud your judgement," George hissed.

"Leave him alone," Snow snapped.

"You two are really something...protecting your friend at the peril of everyone else. I shouldn't be surprised. I am talking to the pair that spared the Evil Queen from execution and then got us all cursed," he spat.

"Why the hell are you here? What do you want?" David demanded to know.

"Justice. Hand that over to me and let the town decide her fate," George answered.

"Like hell...never, because I know exactly what kind of justice you have in mind," David refused.

"This town is bigger than you think. I start telling people that you're putting their lives in danger to protect your own interests? You'll have a mutiny on your hands," George warned.

"Yeah, we'll see. You want her, you have to go through us," David hissed back. George smirked.

"I look forward to that," he replied, as he stormed out. Snow put her hand on her husband's arm.

"David...what are we going to do? If he rallies enough people, they might try to kill her," Snow feared. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at them both.

"I'm not going to let that happen," he promised, as he unlocked the cell.

"What are you doing?" Red exclaimed.

"The station isn't safe, but Belle left me the keys to the library while she's gone. We can hide you there until we figure this out," David suggested. Snow smiled and kissed his cheek.

~*~

That morning, after breakfast, they pulled up to the third apartment building in the SoHo district. At the last two buildings, they turned up empty, but they pressed on, even as impatient as Gold was getting. So when he hesitated to enter the building, again for the third time, Emma called him on it.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he lied.

"This could be the place, you know," she reminded. He nodded curtly.

"Yes…" he agreed.

"He's not expecting you I'm guessing," she stated. He remained silent and Belle squeezed his hand.

"All right...well, who doesn't like a surprise?" Emma said, as she entered the building with Henry. Belle and Gold followed hesitantly.

~*~

Outside the Sheriff's station that afternoon was quite a scene, as George rallied an angry mob.

"We won't cower in fear to this creature any long! We know who she is...we know where she's hiding! So why is she still alive?!" he shouted, as the mob cheered. It was sickening, as Persephone watched the former King manipulate these people and she had words for ever single one of them that was willing to follow this evil man and so quick condemn a possibly innocent woman for something she couldn't control.

"She's being harbored by two people. Snow White and Prince David. How many more people have to die, before our Prince and Princess decide to act?" he called. Persephone glared daggers at him and was ready to zap him to dust. But she refrained from that, while they waited to hear from Bashful on the forensics from the crime scene. She was worried though. She wondered how long it would be before they found out where Red really was and she didn't like this unruly mob. She was afraid that they wouldn't let anyone stand in their way and would be more apt to go through her daughter and son-in-law to get to Red rather than around them.

"If they won't protect you...then I will!" George claimed. She had heard enough and disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke.

~*~

"These should work," Red stated, as she held up a set of iron shackles.

"I hate this," Snow protested.

"I know...but you have to chain me up," she insisted.

"Thanks for letting us hide her here, Belle. The station isn't safe," David said into his phone.

"Of course...keep us informed of the situation," she said from the other end.

"We will," David agreed, as he hung up the phone.

"Okay...let's get you settled for the night. Bashful should have forensics back on the scene soon and then I'm going to find the real killer," David said. Red was about to protest, but then just sighed in defeat.

"You two really have to start thinking about what happens if I am the real killer," Red warned.

"You're not," Snow insisted.

"The crowd is about six blocks from here," Granny informed them with her wolf hearing, just as Persephone appeared.

"George has rallied a huge mob," Persephone warned.

"The only way we're going to get the mob to stand down, is if we prove Red had nothing to do with Billy's death. Can you stay with her? Because we need to go out there and find the real killer," David asked. Persephone nodded.

"They aren't getting in here," she agreed. David took Snow's hand and led her out the back way, with Granny trailing them, as they set off, determined to prove Red's innocence. As they rounded the corner, David's phone rang.

"What you have, Bashful?" he asked, as he answered.

"There's a hair on the body that doesn't belong to Red or Billy. But I need a little more time to run it against everyone in town," he reported.

"Okay...that's something anyway. Let me know when you have an ID," David said, as he hung up the phone.

"There was a hair on Billy's body that doesn't belong to him or Red. He needs more time to get an identification though," David explained, as Granny stopped for a moment.

"What is it?" Snow asked.

"I...I think I've got a scent on something...blood," she said. Snow and David turned and followed Granny.

~*~

Emma looked around the small lobby and approached the switchboard. Henry stood next to her, as they tried to decipher which apartment might be a good bet.

"No Baelfire again," Henry chimed in.

"Yeah, that wouldn't fly as an alias," Emma replied.

"Do any of these names mean anything to you?" Henry asked Mr. Gold.

"Well, names are what I traffic in, but sadly, no," Gold responded. Emma pointed to apartment 407 and it was the only apartment with no name.

"Here's you boy," she said.

"Or it could be vacant like in the last building where there was an apartment with no name," Gold refuted.

"Except those buildings were advertising apartments for rent. This one isn't, which means it's full," Emma reasoned. He looked at her skeptically.

"You may traffic in names and magic, but I traffic in finding people that don't want to be found. And those sort of people don't advertise their whereabouts," she added, as she pressed the button.

"UPS package for 407," she stated. The line disconnected immediately.

"Maybe you should have said FedEx," Henry quipped, as they heard a crash from somewhere above.

"He's running," Emma said, as the four of them hurried out into the streets. A man in a gray hoodie was climbing down the fire escape and took off running the moment his feet hit the ground.

"That favor you owe me. This is it. Get him to talk to me...I can't run," he pleaded.

"Stay with Belle and Mr. Gold," she told her son, as she began chasing the man trying to evade them through the streets. Thanks to years of running, though her boots didn't help, Emma was fast and quickly gained on him. Finally after running almost six blocks, she caught up and tackled him near an alleyway. They crashed to the ground and both started to get up. For the first time, she finally got a look at his face and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"No...Neal?" she asked in disbelief. He smiled.

"Emma?" he asked in surprise. Her mouth still hung ajar and she repeated his name.

"Neal?" she asked again, as they got to their feet.

"I don't understand...what are you doing here?" he asked.

"What am I doing here?" she asked in return.

"Yeah," he said.

"I'm not answering anything until you tell me the truth. Are you Gold's son?" she questioned.

"What are you talking about? Who's Gold?" he asked.

"You played me...you're from there…" she realized.

"Whoa Emma, slow down! What are you talking about? Who's Gold?" he repeated.

"Your father! Rumpelstiltskin!" she cried.

"He's here?" Neal asked wearily.

"Why else would I be in New York?" she shouted.

"You brought him to me? Why the hell would you do that?!" he cried.

"Hey! I am the only one allowed to be angry here! Did you know who I was? Where I was from the whole time? August said you didn't know until he told you, but why the hell should I believe that?" she screamed.

"Emma…" he started to say.

"Tell me the truth! Because Gods knows August is really bad at it!" she snapped.

"Fine! We...we just need to get off the street. We can't talk about this stuff in the open. There's a bar down the street," he suggested.

"I'm not getting a drink with you! Tell me now!" she demanded.

"The bar is better...we can't talk about there in the open. Don't worry, you can keep yelling at me when we get there," Neal replied. Reluctantly, Emma followed him. As much as she hated it, he was right. The street was no place for this discussion.

~*~

"You need to leave. The moon's going to be up soon," Red warned.

"I'll be fine, Red. You forget I have magic. I'm the best person you could be around right now," Persephone replied. But Red's expression was forlorn.

"What's wrong?" Persephone asked.

"I know Snow and David want to believe the best in me, but I've killed before and I'll do it again. Everyone in this town is right to be afraid of me," she replied.

"Well, I'm not...and I'm as convinced as they are that you didn't do anything. Trust me, George is up to something," Persephone refuted.

"You should be afraid," Red warned.

"The past does not define us if we do not let it. Snow and David see the good in you and that tells me one thing," Persephone said.

"What?" Red asked.

"That it's in there. So if we can see it, why can't you?" Persephone questioned.

"You really think so?" Red asked.

"Trust me...I'm the Queen of the Underworld. I know good and I know bad when I see it. And you Red...are good," Persephone answered.

"Maybe. Maybe you're right. But the town's right too. I am a monster. And that's why I need to make sure I don't ever hurt anyone again," Red replied, as she surprised the other woman and put the chains on her.

"What?" Persephone asked, as she tried to magic her way out of them, but found she couldn't.

"They're magic proof...I'm sorry, but I have to do this," Red told her, as she started toward the door.

"Red...don't do this!" Persephone cried.

"I can't let you stop me. The mob wants a wolf and I'm going to give them one. I need to pay for all I've done," Red responded.

"And they'll kill you!" Persephone cried.

"Isn't that what I deserve?" Red asked, as she ran out, leaving Persephone chained up.

~*~

"This way," Granny called, as they approached a parked car.

"The trunk," Granny instructed, as she followed the scent. David popped the trunk and they looked inside, finding an ax and Red's cloak.

"The wolf didn't kill Billy," David stated.

"Red's hood," Granny said, as she picked it up.

"If someone had her cloak, then she'd be forced to change into a wolf," Snow realized.

"So whoever killed Billy could pin the murder on her," David finished.

"Who would want to hurt my Red?" Granny asked.

"This isn't about Red...it's about me. It's George," David said, as he went to the front of the car and searched the glove box. He pulled out the registration.

"This car is registered to Albert Spencer," he confirmed.

"I bet he's the hair Bashful found on Billy," Snow deduced.

"He needed a reason to wrestle power away from us, so he created one," David said, as they heard a howling in the distance.

"The mob…" Snow fretted.

"They're going to kill her," David said, as he took her hand and they started running.

~*~

Belle smiled, as she watched Rumple interact with Henry and buy him a hot dog.

"Don't worry, Emma's really good at catching people. I think she gets it from Gramps...cause he found and caught Grams a bunch of times," Henry chattered.

"Yes...but my son has been running away for a very long time now, much longer than your grandmother was running. And I have a feeling he is very adept at it," Rumple replied, as Belle put a gentle hand on his arm.

"But we did find him. That's something, right?" the boy asked. Belle smiled.

"That is definitely something," she agreed.

"Oh and uh, thanks for the hot dog. I forgot to say that," Henry replied.

"You are quite welcome and thank you, my boy," Gold replied, as they strolled away from the stand and found a bench.

"For what?" Henry chirped.

"Well, if it wasn't for you finding Emma and bringing her to Storybrooke, none of this would have come to pass. You...are a remarkable young man," he said.

"You know...I forgave her. Emma...for giving me up. She thought it was best for me then. That's why she did it. I'm sure your son will get it too," Henry said innocently.

"Alas, the circumstances surrounding our separation weren't quite so noble," Gold replied.

"But you're here now and you want him back, right?" Henry asked.

"More than anything," Gold confirmed.

"Then that's all that matters," Henry said. Gold didn't look so sure, but Belle squeezed the boy's shoulder.

"You are quite the miniature Charming, aren't you?" she teased. He beamed.

"Gramps says that love is all that matters and family is really important. Maybe I can tell your son all the stuff Gramps tells me about love and family," Henry suggested. Belle smiled.

"It definitely couldn't hurt," she said, glancing warmly at Rumple.

"Love is definitely special, especially when it comes to family and who better to teach that than a little boy that comes from such a loving family," she agreed. She could tell he wanted to believe it too, but couldn't quite. She hoped with all her heart that things would work out in their favor.

~*~

"She's close!" George called, as he and the mob entered an alley. The wolf growled from behind a dumpster.

"There you are," George growled, as he drew his gun and prepared to fire. But suddenly, the weapon was shot out of his hand by an arrow from Granny's crossbow.

"The next one goes between your eyes!" the old woman threatened.

"Red!" Snow called, as the mob grew angrier.

"Why are you protecting her?"

"You're supposed to be our Mayor!"

"We're not sheep, David. We don't need to led by a Shepherd and a runaway Princess!"

The people shouted angrily at them.

"Listen to me! Red did not kill Billy and I can prove it!" David shouted, as he pointed to George.

"He did. He stole Red's cloak and killed Billy in cold blood to make it look like the wolf; to get you to think we weren't leading his town as we should," David revealed. The wolf growled and the mob started to move toward her, even as his wife still cautiously approached her.

"Hold on! Someone already died because of what this man did. Let's not spill more blood. She won't hurt anyone. She's just scared," David said, as he followed his wife with Red's cloak.

"Red? I know you're in there, so listen to me. George did it...not you," Snow pleaded.

"She's right, so don't let him trick you into thinking you're a monster," David added and she growled at that. Snow gave him a look. Honestly, she loved him more than her own life, but he really needed some tact sometimes.

"All right, all right, poor choice of words," he admonished.

"Please Red, we know you...the real you. We know you can control the wolf," Snow whispered.

"Red...it's us…Snow and David," he added. She stopped growling and sat back on her haunches, allowing David to throw her cloak over her. Red transformed back into her human form and looked at them in grateful awe.

"You saved me," she uttered.

"No...you saved yourself. We just reminded you of what you already knew," David replied. Snow nodded and hugged her friend fiercely then. David turned and didn't see George anywhere.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"He's gone. Go…" Granny urged, as David took off running after the cold blooded killer.

"David! Be careful!" she called, fearing what George might do to her husband.

"Let's go...I don't trust George," Red called. Snow nodded, as they took off after him.

~*~

The bar was quiet, being that it was the middle of the day and Emma sat across from him, glaring daggers.

"Well, what do you want to know, Emma? You want the truth? Ask away," Neal said.

"Did you know who I was when we met? August said no, but he's a liar," Emma replied. He took a breath.

"So...you've met August. No, I didn't know, Emma. He was telling the truth about that. Wonders never cease, right?" Neal joked, but her glare remained and he looked down at his hands again.

"If I had, I wouldn't have gone near you," he offered.

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah really...I was in hiding. I came here to get away from...all that crap!" he spat.

"So if you didn't know...then you were just using me? You just needed someone to take the fall for all the watches you stole," she deduced.

"I wasn't using you! When we met, that was all real. I didn't know…" he implored.

"Then August found you and told you," she deduced. He nodded.

"He said that I was going to keep you from getting home," Neal replied. Emma's anger nearly boiled over at that.

"So you left me...let me go to prison, because Pinocchio told you to!" she hissed.

"Emma…" he started to say.

"I loved you," she confessed and his heart nearly broke at that.

"I love you too...you have to believe that. I loved you enough to let you go," he pleaded.

"That's crap! If you had been honest with me about who you really were, then things would have been so different!" she cried.

"How? Are you really going to sit there and tell me that you would have believed me if I told you I was the son of Rumpelstiltskin and was from a magical Enchanted Forest?" he hissed quietly. She looked him straight in the eye and he was shocked to see absolute belief behind them.

"Yes…" she responded.

"I...I don't understand," he stammered. She took a stifled breath.

"What August didn't know was that I already knew everything...I've known my whole life," she confessed. His eyes widened slightly.

"You mean...you knew you were from there too?" he asked in disbelief.

"I knew my parents too…" she murmured.

"How is that possible? August told me they were cursed with everyone else," he stated in disbelief.

"They were...but what he nor anyone else, including your father, didn't know was that every night when I went to sleep, I visited a dreamscape where my parents joined me. My mother appeared there at night too and my father was there all the time, since he spent most of the curse in a coma," she revealed. His mouth was ajar in shock.

"My mother's biological mother is Persephone. She gave her daughter up to keep Hades from killing her. That's why my mother was raised by King Leopold and Queen Eva, though my mother's biological father was mortal," Emma continued.

"Your grandmother is the Queen of the Underworld?" he hissed. She nodded.

"Persephone couldn't stop the curse, so she asked Morpheus to create the dreamscape for us. She wanted me to know my parents, even if it was only in my dreams. And it made all the difference in my life," she explained.

"But when you met me you...you were just as angry as I was. Hell, that's how we bonded! Over our crappy childhoods and parents that weren't there!" he exclaimed.

"I know!" she snapped.

"I was angry at them in my teens years! They were there...but not there. It wasn't their fault, but at that point in my life, I didn't give a damn. For like two years, I did nothing but scream at them and tell them that I hated them!" she said, still ashamed of her behavior during that time.

"Wow…" he mumbled.

"When I met you, I told them that I didn't need them anymore and that I didn't care if I ever found them. I decided that the curse wasn't my problem and wanted nothing to do with them. They tried to remain strong in front of me, but I'll never forget the sound of my mom crying. Dad never let me see or hear him cry, but I know he did," she confessed. Neal swallowed thickly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. She scoffed.

"For the same reason you didn't tell me!" she countered.

"When I was a little girl, I use to tell people that every night, I visited a magical dream world where my real parents were. And that they were Snow White and Prince Charming," she drawled and he nodded.

"They thought it was cute when I was five...but not so cute when I was eight. And then by the time I was twelve, they thought I was downright delusional. If I hadn't started keeping it to myself, I probably would have ended up institutionalized," she added.

"Damn...I guess me letting you go was for the best though," he said. She looked at him sharply.

"Sending me to prison was for the best?" she growled.

"No!" he cried.

"Not that part...but you obviously found your parents and things are better between you, right?" he asked. She softened.

"Yeah...really good actually. But still doesn't change the fact that what you and August did to me sucked," she spat. He nodded.

"I know...I'm sorry, really I am. He said it was the only way to get you to break the curse and if I stayed with you...then I'd have to face my father. I wasn't ready for that...still not," he replied.

"Do you really think us meeting was coincidence? That this wasn't somehow part of your father's plan?" she asked.

"As many sucky things as he's done, actually no," Neal replied. She looked at him skeptically.

"Really?" she questioned.

"Think about it...he wanted the curse broken. Us meeting and staying together could have jeopardized that," he reasoned and she realized he was right. If Gold really didn't know, then he was in for one hell of a surprise. And then there was Henry...God, she had to tell him about Henry. There was the option of not telling him, but she could already hear her mother in her head. Not telling him would be a mistake if the secret came out later.

"Yeah...you know I'd like to give a big fuck you to fate right about now," she mentioned and he chuckled.

"Yeah...it can be a bitch," he agreed, as he noticed her wearing the swan key chain he had gotten her years ago.

"You still have it…" he mentioned. She glared at him

"To remind myself to never trust anyone again...outside my parents," she retorted. He frowned, as she stood up.

"So, I promised your father that I'd get you to talk to him, so let's go. I made a deal with him," she urged. His eyes widened.

"You made a deal with him?" Neal hissed.

"Yeah and I'm upholding my end. Let's go," she insisted.

"No...you don't have to. Just tell him you lost me," Neal replied.

"Yeah...except there's one more thing you need to know and I think seeing it is the only way to do it justice," she said.

"Emma…" he protested, but she slapped her hand down on the table.

"You sent me to jail…" she hissed.

"You owe me this much...now let's go. Trust me...you won't regret it, at least, I don't think you will," she added. He looked at her curiously, wondering what she could possibly mean by that. But he realized suddenly that he had to know, so with great reluctance...he followed her.


	53. Roots

Chapter 53: Roots

David's legs burned in protest, but he ignored it, as he chased George. Fortunately, he was much younger and faster, so it didn't take him long to catch up to the disgraced King. He pulled his gun and cocked it, making the King stop, as they reached the beach.

"Put your hands where I can see them. You're under arrest for murder," David stated, as the King did so and slowly turned to face him.

"You think you've really won, shepherd?" George goaded.

"Good always wins...even if our victories are harder to achieve," David retorted.

"So sure of yourself...so sure that you're good," the former King spat.

"As opposed to you...yes. The people have never come first to you. Power is all you care about," David countered.

"You are such a fool...power is how you get everything in this world...in any world, boy," George spat.

"I tried to barter a deal that would have made my Kingdom prosperous for centuries to come. But you ruined it all and just so you could be with your precious Snow White. Who is really the selfish one here?" George challenged.

"Some saw what I did as selfish, you're right...but I never stopped fighting for the people. And don't act so noble...you wouldn't have lended any of the riches you acquired from Midas to the people. Only the nobles and elite would have benefited from that deal," David argued.

"If that's what you need to tell yourself every night when you lay next to your precious Snow White, then so be it. That doesn't change the fact that you will never be fit to lead anything, let alone this town," the disgraced King spat.

"You're wrong," Snow interjected breathlessly, as she and Red arrived behind him.

"Am I, Princess? Just because you say so?" George goaded.

"No...because of the kind of man my husband is. The opposite of you. You have to use fear and lies to get people to follow you. Such leadership would only lead this town to war and ruin. David leads by example, as a man that gives his all to protect his family and the people of this town. He doesn't need to rally them into a frenzy to get them to follow him," Snow countered, as she looked up at him.

"They follow him, because they see themselves in him. He's a person that cares about others and loves his family. You could have had that. But you chose hate over love and family," Snow implored.

"Love is for children, you foolish little girl. Even your father knew that. He was well known for saying that love makes people do very foolish things. Too bad he did not manage to impart his wisdom to his naive daughter," George hissed.

"As much as it hurts...my father, the man that raised me is no role model. He is not a man I look up to now that I know the truths about the things he did in his past," she admitted, but then smiled.

"Fortunately, my husband is the kind of father that my daughter can and does look up to. This town's protection is in good hands with both of them," she said.

"At the end of the day, despite anything else, you're just a cold blooded murderer that deserves nothing less than to be locked up for the rest of his life," she added. David smirked.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," he agreed, as he holstered his gun and cuffed the old man.

"You think you have won? With Cora and the Queen on the loose?" George challenged.

"Or what about your mother's husband? Do you really think Hades will not come to finish what he tried to do upon the day of your birth, Snow White?" he ranted.

"Shut up," David snapped.

"Yes...your precious wife won't be ruling this town long if he has his way. With the Queen gone, I'm sure the Underworld could use a Princess to lord over them," George growled.

"If you don't shut up...you'll be the one going to the Underworld," David growled back, as they marched him back to town.

"I need to get back to the library. I kind of chained your mother up with magic proof chains. She is probably not happy with me at all," Red stated. Snow winced.

"Probably not...I'll go with you," Snow agreed, as she kissed David tenderly.

"I'm going to lock him up and then I'll meet you at home," he said, as he put George in the patrol car, while Red and Snow set off for the library.

~*~

Emma tried to calm her heart, which was pounding, as they walked back to his apartment building in silence.

"So you're not going to tell me what exactly I need to see? Surprises aren't my favorite thing, you know," Neal mentioned.

"Oh, I'm sorry...did I forget to tell you that I give a damn about your sensitivities?" Emma snapped coldly.

"Damn...okay, maybe I deserve that," he said and then winced, as she looked at him sharply.

"You think?" she growled. He sighed.

"Emma...I told you that I'm sorry. But you know as well as I do that I could have never known that you knew your parents or that you were from there," he replied.

"But you did know after August told you. So what that you hated your Dad. I hated my parents at the time. We still could have found them together," she said.

"It's not the same!" he snapped, as they stopped walking and faced each other.

"The difference is that you really didn't hate your parents. I really do hate my father! Do you have any idea what I went through?" he questioned. She crossed her arms over her chest and cast her gaze downward for a moment.

"There is a book...it has all the stories in it. From everyone in town, so yeah, I read it the first chance I got, cover to cover. So yeah...I'm familiar with the story of Baelfire," she admitted.

"Then you know what happened. He chose all that crap over me! And before I got to this world, I had some pretty unpleasant experiences in others," Neal explained.

"He screwed up! Don't you think he at least deserves a second chance?" she asked and he looked at her in disbelief.

"Are you defending him?" he accused. She sighed.

"No...what he did was messed up! It destroyed my family!" she assured.

"Then why the hell does it sound like you're defending him?" he shouted.

"Because...he helped my Dad," she confessed. Neal rolled his eyes.

"He doesn't help anyone unless there was something in it for him," he stated. Emma sighed.

"You're right, but it went down in a way that I think helped your Dad realize that friends and family might actually do things for you without expecting something in return. That's who my parents are...they help people without expecting to be rewarded for it," Emma explained.

"That's nice for you, Emma, but my Dad isn't like that. If you need his help, then you better expect to pay the price," Neal argued.

"But my father didn't pay a price...that's what I'm trying to tell you," she argued back. He seemed intrigued and nodded his head for her to continue.

"A man named Jefferson, who worked for your father back there was cursed to be awake during the curse. It was his punishment to remember everything and have to watch another family raise his daughter. But that also meant he had time to discover things that Regina was hiding," Emma began.

"Like what?" Neal asked curiously.

"Like the fact she told your father that a woman he fell in love with died, but really she just locked her up in the psych ward," Emma replied. He chuckled and Emma looked at him incredulously.

"Are you laughing at me?" she demanded to know.

"Yeah...because you're crazy if you expect me to believe that my father, Dark One extraordinaire, fell in love," he drawled.

"No...no...I amend that. You've cracked if you expect me to believe someone actually fell in love with him!" Neal added.

"The only thing that's going to be cracked is your teeth if you call me crazy again," she growled, as she started to walk away.

"Okay...I'm sorry, but come on! My father loves power and power only," Neal told her.

"Yeah, I know he loves power, but it's not the only thing he loves. Trust me, based on everything I knew about him before I got to Storybrooke, I would have agreed with you," she said. He shrugged.

"Then what changed that?" Neal asked.

"My father...he gave my father back his real memories when he woke up from the coma and gave him a potion to keep him immune to any false memories Regina would have tried to plant. She planned to give him false memories of being married to someone else to keep my parents apart," she explained, as tears gathered in her eyes.

"He gave me my Dad back...and not just in my dreams. For the first time since you...I wasn't alone," she choked, as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

"My Mom didn't remember yet, but it didn't matter. She was so lonely and thought she was nothing...a feeling I know all too well. But Dad swept in and became her Prince Charming again," she added. Neal let out a breath.

"And that's great, Emma, but I know him. He got something out of it," he replied.

"He did...he got Belle back. My father helped him get back to the woman he loved, because your father helped him. But it went further than that...they actually became friends," she pleaded. He chuckled.

"My father doesn't have friends and if your Dad actually thinks my father is his friend, then he's an idiot," Neal said.

"Don't call my Dad stupid!" she snapped, taking him aback a bit and he held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay...I'm sorry," he apologized again. But she scoffed.

"You know what...I'm starting to think that you don't deserve to know the other thing I have to tell you," she said, as she turned away.

"It will be hard to here, but I'll tell him the truth about what you really are," Emma replied.

"Who are you talking about?" Neal asked in confusion.

"I already told him the truth...thanks to my Mom. I wanted to lie...I wanted to tell him you were some firefighter that died a hero. But nope...I told him the truth and he took it pretty well. Better than me," Emma replied.

"Emma...what the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

"I told him that you sent me to jail. I was honest and said I wasn't completely innocent in the whole thing, but I'm pretty sure all he heard was you sold me out and he was born in prison," she answered. His eyes widened.

"B...born?" he questioned.

"And now...I get to tell him that Baelfire is actually Neal Cassidy and he decided to abandon us again, because he can't get over his daddy issues," Emma spat.

"Emma!" he shouted and she turned back to him.

"What do you mean...by born?" he asked, with bated breath.

"I mean my son...our son," she replied. He was stunned to speechlessness.

"We...we have a son?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yep...but I didn't get to raise him. I was in prison, remember? And I knew that I couldn't give him what he needed when I got out. So I gave him up...and guess who adopted him? None other than Regina Mills," Emma replied.

"The Queen adopted our son?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yep, we share a son with the Evil Queen...so thanks for that," she retorted.

"Emma…" he started to say.

"You know what? I'm done...I don't care anymore. Come, don't come...I'm over it. I'm going back to get my son and we're going home to my parents, because we're a family and it's pretty great," she admitted.

"Once I worked through my anger and hurt with them...things were wonderful, even when we were only together in our dreams. Too bad you're too good to give your Dad the same chance," she said.

"It's not the same!" he insisted again.

"Dammit...your parents are good! They didn't want to give you up, did they?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No...they only did, because of him! Because he wanted to get me back! Never mind that he destroyed countless other lives to do it!" he cried.

"Fine...so what do I tell him?" she asked.

"Oh, I'll tell him to piss off myself...I'm still going with you," he replied. She looked at him in surprise.

"You are?" she asked.

"Emma...I just found out that I have a son. Do you really think I'd do the same thing to him as mine did to me?" he questioned. Her face was a mask of indifference.

"You want me to really believe that it would have changed things if you knew that I was pregnant?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No...I don't. I don't deserve that belief from you right now, but I'm going to earn it," he replied. She actually looked impressed by that, as they started walking again.

~*~

After locking George up in a cell in the basement of the hospital, David headed home and found a quiet loft when he got there with takeout ready. After the three of them enjoyed dinner together, Persephone retired for the evening, leaving Snow and Charming to their own devices. Snow kissed him deeply, moving her lips over his in a passionate rhythm, as her hands busied themselves on the buttons of his shirt.

"Not that I'm complaining...but you're especially feisty tonight," he purred, as her lips were busy on his neck. She smirked at him and pushed a hand to his chest, as he lay back. She straddled him and then leaned over him again.

"What can I say...I can't seem to keep my hands off you, handsome," she purred. He sought her lips at that and kissed her passionately.

"Like I said...no complaints here, my darling," he said in a husky tone. She bit her bottom lip, as she got his shirt off and let her hands roam his bare torso.

"Mmm...then you won't mind if I have my way with you, Prince Charming," she purred, as they melted into each other...

~*~

When Emma and Neal got back to the apartment building, they walked into the lobby.

"You're back!" Henry called, as he ran up and hugged Emma. She smiled and hugged him back, dropping a kiss on top of his head. The boy poked his head out to look at the person that was with her and his expression was brimming with curiosity.

"Are you Baelfire?" he asked. Neal could only stare at him for several beats.

"Uh...yeah, I suppose I am. I don't really go by that name anymore though," he answered when he found his voice.

"What do I call you then?" Henry asked. His eyes darted to Emma, who gave him a curt nod, while not looking very happy at all.

"Well, in this world, I've been going by Neal Cassidy," he replied. Henry looked at him in disbelief and then up at his mother.

"Isn't that the name of…" he started to say, as he trailed off. She nodded.

"Yeah kid...I'm as surprised as you, believe me," she replied.

"So...you're my Dad?" Henry asked, as Rumple took a sharp intake of breath. Neal glanced at him, only to see pure shock on his face. There was some small satisfaction at that. For once, his father had failed miserably to predict the future and thus control it.

"Yeah, it would appear so, kid," he replied.

"Bae…" Rumple interjected, but Neal put his hand up to silence him.

"Firstly, it's Neal...and don't even for a second get the idea that I came back here for you," he said harshly.

"I'm here for him, because now that I know about him, I won't abandon my son like you did yours," Neal hissed, as he turned to Emma.

"It's getting late...I have a guest room for you and the sofa folds out into a bed for him if you want," he told her. Emma sighed and looked at her son, who clearly wanted to know the man before him. So she nodded in acquiescence.

"Henry, go on up to the apartment with Neal. I'll be there in a minute," she assured. He nodded, as he got on the elevator with Neal.

"Emma...you have to talk to him for me," Rumple leaded.

"I have...why do you think I was gone so long?" she countered.

"The only reason I got him here at all was when I told him about Henry. Otherwise, he'd be in the wind again. I tried to get him to give you a second chance. I even told him how you've made friends with my father and found love...but he's not budging," she lamented.

"Rumple...let him cool off a bit and spend some time with Henry. Maybe he'll start to see things differently," Belle suggested.

"And if he doesn't?" Rumple asked brokenly.

"Then you back off...at least he'll be close. He'll be coming home with us now that he knows about Henry," Emma replied and then sighed.

"Look...go back to the hotel and I'll see if I can get him to agree to meet you for breakfast in the morning," she offered. He nodded.

"Thank you," he offered back, as he started to hobble toward the exit.

"Emma...are you okay?" Belle asked. The blonde smiled thinly and blew out a breath.

"Yeah, I guess...it's a lot to take in," she replied. Belle nodded.

"I can't imagine...and I'm here if you want to talk, but I think you might benefit more if you call Snow," she suggested.

"Yeah...it's late," Emma said. Belle squeezed her hand.

"Emma...call your Mother. She won't care what time it is," the brunette replied, as she left. Emma sighed and pulled out her phone. She pressed a button and Mom appeared on the screen, as her phone dialed.

~*~

Regina sighed, as they rummaged through Gold's shop, but turned up empty again.

"We've searched everywhere...the woods, the clock tower, this entire damn town and it's not here!" she complained.

"No...I'm beginning to think it's not anywhere at all," Cora responded.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Are you sure he wouldn't have taken it with him?" Cora asked.

"Sidney said that his phone records show a call to the airlines. He would have never gotten something like that through security and onto an airplane," Regina replied.

"Unless that was a ruse or there was a change of plans," Cora surmised. Regina looked up at her.

"And they decided to drive...he took it with him," she realized. Cora pursed her lips.

"What are we supposed to do now? If he has it with him, we'll never get it away from him now," the former Queen said.

"Patience darling, this is just a minor setback. There are still ways to get what we need," Cora replied.

"We can't kill the Charmings...no matter how much I wish we could. Even if Persephone wasn't standing in the way...Henry would never forgive me," Regina said.

"And we will get the dagger and do away with all of them. Then Henry won't blame you," she assured.

"Then we need to be ready for them before they cross the town line and somehow get the dagger away from Gold. Cora smirked.

"Which shouldn't be too difficult," she responded.

"How do you figure? Even outside Storybrooke, Emma is armed with a gun," Regina warned.

"Because love is weakness, dear. We threaten Rumple's little bookworm and he'll do whatever he must to save her," Cora responded.

"And Emma...she'd do anything to save her parents," Regina realized.

"Yes and fortunately, we have Hook at our disposal as well. If he were to take Henry's grandparents hostage, the boy would still see you as blameless," Cora added. Regina smirked.

"The Captain should be with his ship...but we'll need a diversion for Persephone," she said.

"And I have just the one," Cora replied," as she poofed them to the harbor. But they frowned when they arrived, finding the Jolly Roger to be missing.

"He's gone…" Regina uttered. Cora's face was marred by a deep frown and she clenched her fists. She regretted now not keeping Hook on a tighter leash.

"He's gone to New York...he's gone to skin his Crocodile. He could ruin everything…" she hissed. Regina sighed.

"What now?" her daughter asked.

"The giant I brought along would have been a nice distraction. Fortunately, I have another one that might just drive a wedge between Snow and her mother. It's a start anyway until we figure out what do and what damage Hook might do to our plans," Cora replied. It was a setback for sure, but it only delayed the inevitable as far as she was concerned. And that was her possession of the dagger and the complete destruction of Persephone's entire legacy…

~*~

Snow giggled, as she lay entangled beneath the bedclothes with her husband and he kissed her neck.

"You do know I'm not food, right?" she teased, as her husband seemed intent on nibbling on her all over.

"Yep...you're better. You taste like cinnamon...and vanilla...and Snow…" he purred. She giggled.

"I taste like Snow? What does that even mean?" she asked playfully.

"Mmm...I don't know. You taste like you...and it's heaven," he replied, as his head disappeared beneath the blankets and she gasped, as he made his way down the valley between her breasts.

"David…" she whimpered, as she raked her fingers through his hair, while he busied his skillful mouth on her chest. Snow lost herself in the sensations and writhed beneath her husband's hard body. Gods...this man knew exactly how to bring her unspeakable pleasure. Unfortunately, her phone chose to ring at that moment and she grappled with it on the nightstand.

"Charming...it's Emma…" she warned, as he emerged and spooned her against him, as she answered the phone.

"Hi honey…" she said, as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"Hi Mom...sorry, I know it's late," Emma replied.

"It's never too late for you to call me, sweetheart, ever," Snow assured.

"I found Baelfire," she revealed.

"That's wonderful…" Snow replied, but heard silence on the other end.

"Isn't it?" she asked.

"Uh...yeah, there's just way more to it and I'm kind of freaking out right now," Emma fretted.

"Honey, say the word and your Dad and I will leave for New York right now if you need us to," Snow assured.

"It's tempting, but I don't think there will be much reason to stick around New York much longer. We should be heading home tomorrow," Emma said.

"That's good...does that mean Gold worked things out with his son?" Snow asked, as Charming listened with her.

"No...he wants nothing to do with his father. But that's only half of it. Baelfire...Mom…" Emma started to say.

"It's okay Emma...whatever it is, your Dad and I will be here for you," Snow assured.

"Baelfire is Neal Cassidy…" she blurted out and Snow was silent for a moment, trying to process that statement.

"Neal Cassidy…" she uttered and she saw her husband's face darken at that name.

"Baelfire is Neal Cassidy?" she continued, as her eyes met Charming's and she watched his blue eyes widen.

"Yeah...insane, right?" she fretted.

"A little bit...how did Gold take it?" she asked curiously.

"He was as shocked as me. He and Belle went back to the hotel. We're at Neal's apartment and Henry's getting to know him. He wants nothing to do with Gold, but Neal said he won't abandon Henry now that he knows about him," Emma explained.

"Well, that's noble...so he'll be coming home with you?" Snow asked.

"Yeah I guess...I have no idea what any of this means. I never expected to see him again," Emma replied.

"I know sweetheart, but your Dad and I are going to be here for you, no matter what. And we'll figure all of this out together," Snow promised.

"Thanks Mom...I love. Tell Dad I love him too," Emma said. Snow smiled.

"I will...we love you too, sweetheart. Be safe and call us when you're on your way home," Snow requested, as she hung up the phone and blew out an unsteady breath.

"You realize what this means, right?" she asked him and he gave her a questioning look.

"We share a grandson with Rumpelstiltskin," she said. He blew out a breath too.

"Good thing we're friends now or that might suck," he quipped. She hummed in agreement and chuckled, as he kissed her cheek.

"I will feel so much better when our baby and our grand baby are home," she confessed.

"Me too, my love," he agreed, as they settled down in each other's arms and finally let sleep take them. At least in their dreams, they would see Emma and Henry.


	54. Tiny

Chapter 54: Tiny

Tiny wandered the woods, knowing nothing of where he was now. The witch and the pirate had captured him and brought him aboard a vessel. Somehow, they had made the last bean useable again and they had gone through a portal.

The next thing he knew, the pirate was awakening him and forcing him off the ship to wander this strange place. He had taken to the woods out of fear and curiously had found a mushroom in his pocket. He hated the humans that had done this to him...he hated them all. Perhaps if he used it...he could make them all pay or make them send him home. But he refrained for now and attempted to find food to satiate his hunger. Then he would decide what to do about the humans, for he would never trust them again. They had destroyed his life and he would destroy them for it…

~*~

Snow put her arms around her husband from behind that morning, as he stood at the griddle, making them pancakes. He had become quite the cook once he learned how modern appliances worked and how much easier cooking actually was in this realm. Charming's mother had taught him much about cooking and he actually enjoyed cooking for his family immensely.

"I smell cinnamon…" she mentioned.

"That's because I put it in your pancakes," he replied, as he kissed her nose and then fed her a bite.

"Mmm...best pancakes ever," she complimented, as she chewed and then kissed him tenderly.

"I'm a little surprised you're not at the station already though," she mentioned. He shrugged.

"Leroy and Happy are running morning patrol for me and things are quiet. So I thought I'd make breakfast for my beautiful wife, the Mayor, before she leaves for the day," he mentioned.

"Remind me to thank them...because there is nothing I need more than quiet mornings at home with my husband," she purred, as they kissed again.

"I love you…" he told her, as their lips parted. She smiled.

"And I love you," she replied, as they heard a knock at the door, just as Persephone was coming down the stairs.

"Oh Johanna...please come in," Snow said, as the woman did so with a kind smile.

"I hope you don't mind...I've been baking again and I have more bread than I'll ever eat. I thought you and David might enjoy some," she said.

"Thank you...would you like to join us for breakfast?" Snow asked.

"Oh no, thank you dear, but I can't stay. I just wanted to see how you were doing though. I was so happy when the town made the right choice for you to lead us as Mayor," she replied, as her eyes met Persephone's. Snow looked down shyly.

"I just hope I can live up to the faith they've put in me," the raven haired beauty mentioned.

"You will sweetheart…" Persephone interjected. David watched the scene with trepidation, for the way Johanna and Persephone were circling his wife was like watching two mama bears quarreling over whose cub she was.

"Yes...the Goddess is right about that. You will be a wonderful Mayor. I'm so proud of you, my little Snow," Johanna said, as she cupped the young woman's face.

"She is not your Snow," Persephone snapped.

"Mother…" Snow chided.

"Oh, it's all right, dear...I expected this. It's only natural for her to be jealous of the bond we have. Jealous of the fact that I was the one to raise you," Johanna responded, as the two women glared at each other.

"Johanna…" Snow scolded lightly. But there was no taming the fierce hatred between these two women.

"Why are you really here, Johanna?" Persephone questioned.

"I don't know what you are implying, Goddess. I am simply here to check on my Snow," Johanna replied innocently.

"After all this time? Why now? Why should I believe that you're not here spying on us for Cora?" she questioned.

"I guess that you don't, but I assure you I only want the best for Snow," Johanna feigned innocently.

"Please...stop this. I love you both...please don't fight," Snow pleaded.

"Sweetheart...she's working for Cora. We can't trust her," Persephone admonished.

"Johanna would never hurt me...I believe that," Snow refuted. Johanna smiled and hugged her, knowing how much that would get under Persephone's skin.

"You are absolutely right, Snow. But I can see it's best that I go for now," she said.

"No...you don't have to," Snow replied. The older woman smiled.

"It's all right, dear...perhaps we can catch up at the diner over lunch," she suggested, as she left. Snow huffed and crossed her arms, looking at her mother sternly.

"Snow…" she started to say, but the other raven haired woman put her hands up.

"I don't want to hear it!" the Princess snapped.

"I want Johanna in my life and you're going to have to find a way to deal with that," Snow snapped, as she started gathering her things to get ready to leave, just as David's phone rang.

"What is it Leroy?" he answered and then listened to the dwarf.

"Okay...keep an eye on him and I'll be right there," he said, as he hung up.

"What's going on?" Snow asked.

"Leroy and Happy said they found a man wandering in the woods. He doesn't seem to know how he got here or where he is. I'm going to check it out," he replied.

"I'll come with you," Snow said, as he helped her put her coat on.

"Snow please...talk to me," Persephone pleaded, but her daughter stubbornly shook her head.

"Not now...I will not be fought over. You are going to have to accept Johanna as part of my life," she replied, as she walked out. David sighed and gave her a sympathetic gaze.

"Just give her a little time...she'll be fine," he assured. Persephone nodded, as he followed his wife out. But she knew better about Johanna. She knew the woman was working for Cora and trying to get close to her daughter for a reason. That reason was probably to drive a wedge between her and Snow and yet Persephone had played right into it. She had allowed Cora to do exactly that and she grabbed her coat, before hurrying out. It was time to see exactly what Johanna was up to.

~*~

Emma groaned, as she was disoriented by her surroundings for a moment. Then it all returned to her like being hit by a ton of bricks. Neal. Neal was Baelfire. Her son's other grandfather was Gold of all people. She put her hands over her face and groaned. The kid was taking it a lot better than she was. He had been hyped up to sleep on Neal's pull out sofa, stating that it would be just like camping out and didn't seem fazed by what Neal's presence in his life might mean now. She peered out of the bedroom and saw her son sitting at the table with Neal, juice in hand, as he asked a million and one questions, all of which Neal tried to answer.

"Morning," he called, as he spotted her.

"Hi Mom!" Henry called.

"Morning kid," she greeted, as she sat down beside him.

"Please tell me you have coffee," she grumbled. He chuckled and poured her a cup.

"Thanks," she offered, as she started nursing the hot liquid.

"Henry was just telling me all about Storybrooke. Seems like an interesting place," he mentioned.

"Yeah, I'm not sure interesting quite does it justice," Emma retorted.

"Yeah...so your parents are Snow White and Prince Charming. You know that makes you a Princess, right?" he teased. She glared at him.

"Your Dad is Rumpelstiltskin...so what does that make you?" she teased back. He chuckled.

"Touche…" he replied.

"Speaking of your Dad...I told him that I would try to talk you into having breakfast with him and Belle this morning," she said. He sighed.

"Emma…" he started to protest.

"Will you just give it a chance? I mean, we gotta eat and feed the kid. One breakfast is all I'm asking. I'd say you owe me that," she replied.

"Fuck…" he cursed.

"Will you watch the f bombs in front of the kid?" she asked. He winced.

"Sorry…" he apologized. Henry's eyes darted between them, as they interacted. Adults were weird.

"So...are we going to eat?" he asked. Emma looked up at Neal, waiting for his answer. He sighed.

"Yeah...go get dressed and we'll go meet them for breakfast," he agreed. She smirked. Leave it to Henry...he usually got his way. Emma smirked and texted Belle.

~*~

David parked the truck on the edge of the woods and they got out, before joining hands and finding the dwarves.

"He's over here," Leroy called, as they walked toward the tree where they could see a large boned man with curly hair sitting.

"Did he tell you his name?" Snow asked.

"He says it's Tiny, which seems like an oxymoron," Happy replied, indicating his size.

"Shut it Happy," Leroy growled.

"Did he say where he came from?" David asked.

"That's where it gets good," Walter yawned.

"Yeah...he says he came here on a ship," Leroy replied. Snow and David exchanged a glance, as they approached. Tiny looked non-threatening, until the moment he saw David and his demeanor changed in an instant.

"You…" he growled, as he lunged and slammed his fist into Charming's face, delivering an uppercut to his chin. The force of it knocked him head over heels, but before he could advance on the prone Prince, Snow leveled an arrow at him.

"Step away from my husband," she hissed.

"He ruined my life!" Tiny growled. David looked confused, as Leroy and Happy helped him up.

"I've never even seen you before," the blonde Prince protested.

"Lies...humans lie. That's all they do!" he cried, as they watched him eat a mushroom and then grew until he was towering above them and the town.

"Okay...now Tiny is really an oxymoron!" Happy cried.

"Shut it Happy," Leroy, Snow, and David said simultaneously, as the now giant lifted his foot and tried to stomp on them. David grabbed Snow around the waist and tackled her to the ground, as he rolled them away.

"What'd you do to him?!" Leroy cried, as Snow and David started running for their lives hand in hand, with Leroy, Happy, and Walter following.

"I've never seen him before!" David shouted back.

"Well, he sure knows your face, chisel chin!" Happy commented, as they dodged behind the cannery and watched the giant keep heading toward town proper.

"That's it…" David realized, as he looked at her.

"What?" she asked.

"He knows my face…" he replied. Realization flashed in her eyes.

"He thinks you're James!" she said, with a gasp.

"So your twin did something to him?" Happy questioned.

"It's possible...he wasn't a good guy," David replied.

"Great...now we got a rampaging giant in town, cause your brother was a dick," Leroy griped.

"Come on...we need to try and reason with him and keep him from attacking town," David said, as they started running again, this time following the giant.

~*~

Emma sighed, as the five of them sat at a table at a restaurant. Henry happily chattered nearly a mile a minute, as he ate his pancakes, and managed to get syrup on his face and shirt. Other than the kid, it was the most awkward breakfast Emma had ever experienced. Neal refused to talk to Gold, leaving Belle and Henry trying to keep conversation flowing. And it wasn't really working, for Neal's insistence on only smiling at Henry, while glaring at his father just made things uncomfortable.

"And then Gramps totally let me play spy when we sneaked into August's room at Granny's," Henry chattered.

"You and your gramps broke into August's room? Doesn't really sound like something a Prince would condone," Neal commented.

"Well...gramps said we shouldn't do things like that, but that this time it was okay since it was for Operation Cobra," Henry replied.

"Operation Cobra?" Neal asked.

"That's what we called our mission to break the curse," the boy answered.

"Ah...got it. Cool code name," he complimented.

"Thanks...and Mr. Gold helped us with Operation Cobra too!" Henry offered.

"Yeah...he stood to gain a lot from the curse breaking," Neal said, a tad bitterly. Henry shrugged.

"But so did my other gramps, cause he knew that Grams would remember him and Emma then. One time Gramps used true love's kiss to make Grams remember him, but it didn't really work in Storybrooke," Henry chattered, as he turned to Emma.

"Is that why Gramps was kissing Grams so much when she was Mary Margaret?" he asked, making Emma choke on her coffee. Damn...this kid sometimes. Neal laughed. Naturally...the asshole would laugh.

"Uh...not really Henry. True love's kiss didn't work without magic...sometimes grown ups kiss, because they like kissing," she begrudgingly explained, as she watched Belle try not to laugh. Henry nodded.

"I guess that makes sense, cause grams and gramps kiss A LOT," he emphasized, as Neal laughed again, seemingly content to soak up everything about the boy.

"Is it too early to order vodka?" she murmured.

"Probably," Belle offered sympathetically, as the waitress brought the check. Neal was quick to pay it, not allowing Gold to even offer, and then quickly got up.

"Bae…" Gold started to say.

"Nope," he refuted, as he walked out with Henry beside him. Emma sighed.

"Give him time...I know it's hard, but he's coming back to Storybrooke with us and that is huge," Emma offered. Belle put her hand on Rumple's.

"She's right...he needs time. Let him see the man you are now once we return home," she suggested.

"But I am the same man that let him go almost three hundred years ago," Gold insisted.

"You're not...you've changed. You're better now...you may still have those same tendencies, but you are also still the kind man he once knew," she insisted.

"Let him see that...we've told him that you have friends now and a girlfriend," she said nudging him playfully.

"But let him see it...let him see the family you have now. When he sees that others are not rejecting you and that you have actual relationships with the people around you...it will make a difference," she added.

"She's right…" Emma offered. He didn't look convinced, but nodded, as they followed Neal and Henry out of the restaurant.

The car ride back to Neal's apartment was quiet and once they arrived, they went inside to the lobby.

"I just need to grab a bag and we can head out," Neal said, as he pushed the button on the elevator when a man suddenly burst through the door. Neal looked at him in disbelief.

"Hook?" he questioned. The pirate looked at him oddly, as he did not recognize him, and then ignored him. He lunged toward Gold and Belle screamed, as he stabbed him in the chest with his Hook. Henry gasped, as Emma pulled him away and into Neal's arms, who shielded his face.

"What the hell…" she cried, as she saw the wound in Gold's chest now. The pirate raised his Hook again, preparing to spear powerless Dark One again, but Emma picked up a nearby pipe and beamed in the head, dropping him like a rock. Belle cradled Gold and started crying, as she examined the angry wound. There was a substance amidst the blood, as Emma peered at it.

"What is that?" she questioned.

"Poison," Neal answered.

"We have to get him back to Storybrooke like now...magic is his only chance," he added.

"He'll never survive a car ride," Belle fretted.

"No...but there is faster ways," Neal deduced.

"He'll never get on a plane like this either," Emma said.

"Not that...the guy you just beamed with that pipe is none other than Captain Hook. And where there is Hook...there's the Jolly Roger. It's the fastest ship in all the realms," Neal replied.

"Hold on...you want to take a pirate boat back to Storybrooke?" Emma asked in surprise.

"It's a ship and it's his only shot!" Neal replied in vehemence.

"Yeah...but I can't sail a freaking pirate ship!" she protested.

"No...but I can. Don't ask...I'll explain later. We just need to get to New York Harbor...and I think I know someone that can help," he replied, as he took out his phone.

~*~

Snow and David peered around the corner of the cannery building where Anton was trashing everything in sight.

"I have to stop him, before someone gets hurt," David said, as he stepped out into the open. Snow let out a strangled gasp and reached after him. But she couldn't stop him from walking out and offering himself as a sacrifice for their town, so she ran after him. Reluctantly, the three dwarves followed.

"Anton...please these people are innocent! I'm the one you want!" David called.

"Charming…" Snow fretted, as she held his arm.

"I'll be fine," he assured, as walked toward the giant. Snow followed him, arrow ready, but stayed several feet back with Leroy, Happy, and Walter.

"You ruined my life!" Anton yelled.

"Anton...my name is David! James was my twin brother! He was raised by a ruthless King!" David pleaded.

"You expect me to believe that?!" he spat in return.

"Yes...because it's the truth! My husband is a good man! I don't know what James did to you, but my Charming would never intentionally hurt someone!" she pleaded for him.

"LIES!" he shouted, as he picked up a car and threw it at them.

Snow yelped, as Charming tackled her out of the path and they rolled to the ground. Anton raised his large foot in an attempt to smash them beneath it and David rolled them away. As Anton's foot hit the concrete, he smashed through it and sunk beneath the ground to his waist. In a puff of smoke, the magic making him giant sized wore off and he was nowhere to be seen. Leroy and Happy helped them up, as they rushed over to the hole in the street, cautiously peering in, only to see the now human sized giant hanging precariously on a broken pipe above a deadly precipice.

"Get some rope and the rest of the dwarves. I'll get my truck," David said, as Snow looked sad for the giant. He looked lost and hopeless, a feeling she had once known. Perhaps showing him this kindness would help start to heal whatever wounds he had.

David returned quickly and the dwarves secured the rope on the hitch of the truck, as he tied the rope around his waist. Snow rushed up to him once he finished securing the rope and cupped his face in her gloved hands, kissing him passionately.

"Most people would let that giant die," she said, admiration in her voice.

"You wouldn't," he replied, his admiration equal to hers. She stood back and watched him lower himself into the hole with bated breath. The last time she had watched him lower himself into a dangerous precipice, it had been with Emma to save Henry from the mines, before her memories had been restored. But this time was no easier.

"Anton...grab my hand!" he called.

"No...it's better if I just let go," he cried.

"If you let go, you'll die," David said.

"Maybe that's easier," he answered.

"If you really believed that, then you would have already let go. Now grab my hand!" David pleaded. Taking a leap of faith, he did. The dwarves and pulled them up, helping Anton up first. They kept pulling and Leroy grabbed David's arm, helping him out of the hole, and into Snow's waiting arms. She hugged him tightly in relief, before pulling back and showering his cheeks and lips with kisses, to which he chuckled and happily kissed her back.

"I don't know what my brother did to you, Anton, but that's not us," David promised.

"You have no idea," he replied solemnly.

~*~

Johanna walked into the library and saw Cora waiting for her, along with her daughter.

"Well?" Cora asked.

"You were right...I went to Snow's apartment and put on quite the show. Persephone was livid with the attention I was showering her daughter with," Johanna reported. Cora gave Regina a pleased smirked.

"Snow was quite miffed with her mother's behavior and chose not to believe her about me," she added.

"Excellent...as usual, that foolish girl's insistence on seeing the best in everyone will cost her," Cora stated.

"What do you plan to do, Mother? Without the dagger, we can't exactly just do away with them. Killing them can't be done with our hands," Regina reminded.

"And we won't need to. Call Snow and tell her you need to see her and the Prince. That you have information about me that they need to know," Cora said.

"What...are you going to do to them?" Johanna asked. Cora smirked.

"I'm going to use them to force Emma Swan to take the dagger from Gold and turn it over to me in exchange for her parents," Cora replied. Johanna looked uncertain, but dialed Snow on her phone as asked.

~*~

"Snow! David!" Persephone cried, as she burst into the diner, naturally having heard about their predicament. Her plan to follow Johanna had been abandoned the moment she heard of the danger to her daughter and son-in-law.

"We're fine," Snow offered. David hissed, as she treated the cut on his temple with an antiseptic wipe.

"Snow...it's fine. It's just a little cut," he protested. She just gave him a look and kept cleaning it. Persephone sighed.

"Is that the giant?" she asked. They nodded.

"A case of mistaken identity. I'm not sure what my brother did...but it was enough that Tiny wanted to kill him," David replied.

"And he saw you and thought you were James," she deduced, as she looked at her daughter, who was giving her the cold shoulder.

"Snow…" she started to say, but was interrupted when her phone rang.

"Hello?" Snow called and then listened. Her brow furrowed.

"Okay...we'll be right there," Snow replied.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Johanna...she said she has to tell us something about Cora," she replied.

"Snow...that's a trap," Persephone insisted.

"She wouldn't do that! She raised me after my...Eva died," Snow insisted.

"Snow please...listen to me on this. Don't go," she pleaded. But her stubborn daughter shook her head.

"I'm going...you can come with us if you want, but I'm going," Snow replied, as she walked out of the diner. David sighed.

"David...I'm telling you this is a trap," she pleaded.

"Then you better be nearby, because there is no stopping her when she's like this," he replied, as they hurried after her.

~*~

Emma and Neal met the van as it pulled up and watched a woman get out.

"Thanks...I really appreciate this," Neal told her. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Anything for you, babe," she replied and Emma looked at them incredulously, suddenly caught totally off guard.

"You must be Emma," the woman said, as they shook hands.

"Uh...yeah…" she confirmed.

"I'm Tamara...Neal's fiance," she announced and the blonde's eyes widened.

"Fiance?" she asked in surprise and Neal suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Um yeah...so we need to go," he said urgently. The woman nodded.

"Of course...I'll see you when you back," she said, as she walked away.

"Fiance?!" Emma cried, once she was out of earshot.

"What?" he asked, raising his arms in defense.

"You didn't think it was important to mention that you're engaged?" she asked hotly.

"Does it matter?" he asked.

"Yes! We have a kid! This isn't something you just drop on him! Not to mention that our families are a little...unconventional! Does she know?" Emma cried. He scoffed.

"Of course she doesn't know, Emma!" he retorted. She resisted the urge to strangle him and threw her hands up.

"We don't have time for this," he hissed.

"Yeah...let's go. I'll call my parents once we're on our way," Emma replied.

"Hey...are they really going to help him?" he asked curiously. She looked back at him and smiled slightly.

"Yes...they really will," she confirmed, as they hurried back inside to get his father loaded into the van. They didn't have much time...


	55. Jar of Hearts

Chapter 55: Jar of Hearts

Neal hit the brakes on the van and parked it, as they jumped out of the front seat.

"You gonna tell me how the hell you think you can sail a pirate ship?" Emma asked, as they opened the side door on the van.

"Later," Neal replied, as Belle cradled his father in her arms and he gazed up at her. It was clear the poison was already taking a toll.

"Bae…" he rasped.

"Don't talk...you need to save your strength or you won't make it to Storybrooke," he snapped bluntly, as he peered out to see where the Harbor security guards were.

"We need a distraction," he mentioned.

"I can help with that!" Henry called, as he hopped out and ran toward the dock before Emma could stop him.

"Henry!" she called, as she hurried after him.

"Hey kid, no running along the dock!" the guard cried, as he stopped him with a firm hand on him.

"Sorry…" Henry said, as he started running again, ensuing chase from the guard.

"Hey! Stop, you little brat!" he called, as another guard intercepted him, just as Emma caught up to him.

"Is this your kid?" he asked.

"Yeah...sorry about that," Emma answered, as she put her arm around her wayward child.

"The Harbor isn't a playground! Keep a better eye on your kid," the guard warned and Emma nodded.

"Don't worry...it won't happen again," she assured, as they turned around and returned to the van.

"Am I in trouble?" Henry asked.

"No...because your diversion worked," Emma replied, as she noticed Neal and Belle had managed to get him on board the Jolly Roger.

"Do it again...and totally. New York is not a place I need you running off," she chided, as the slipped aboard the ship too and it set sail. The ship stood out like a sore thumb so the sooner they were out of patrolled waters, the better.

~*~

Snow hurried along the sidewalk with her hand in David's and he looked at her with his peripheral vision. He stopped and got in front of her, blocking her path. She gave him an indignant look and tried to go around him, but he stopped her again.

"Snow...give me a minute," he requested and she sighed.

"We don't have time. Johanna said she has information on Cora," she said.

"I know, but I think you need to take a breath, my darling and entertain the possibility that your mother might be right," he said. She looked at him incredulously.

"You can't possibly be taking her side?" Snow cried. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"You know that I am always on your side," he admonished.

"I just think that I'm in a position here to be a little more objective and the last thing I want is to see you get hurt," he said. She nodded.

"I know and I love you for that. But I'm telling you...my mother is wrong about this. Johanna may hate her, but it doesn't extend to me. She was there for me when Eva died," Snow reminded. He nodded. He wanted that for her. He wanted to believe that Johanna didn't hold any of the ill will she had for Persephone for Snow too. But Cora was a master manipulator. Essentially, she was the reason for Regina's unhappiness and her subsequent hatred for his wife. Cora had manipulated Snow when she was a grieving and vulnerable little girl. Knowing that she had also manipulated Johanna when she was at the height of her grief made him wary of her. Her husband had been killed on the day Snow was born in service to her adopted parents. He wanted to think her anger at Persephone inadvertently creating the blizzard that had killed him didn't extend to Snow. But he knew better and was seeing things a bit more clearly than his wife at the moment.

"I know that you're worried, but that's why I'm not going alone. You'll be there and then maybe you'll see that Johanna is genuine. With time, maybe she can accept that my mother is part of my life now too," Snow said, with hope in her voice.

"I want that for you more than anything, my darling," he said. He only hoped that they weren't walking into a situation that would see her hurt. He couldn't stand it when she was hurting, especially when there was really nothing he could do to stop it.

They continued on, hand in hand, arriving at the library shortly.

"Johanna?" Snow called, as they went inside and upstairs into the clock tower.

"You came…" Johanna said, as she waited there. Snow smiled and took her hands in her own.

"You said it was urgent...that you had information about Cora," she said.

"Cora wants the dagger. She figures if she can get it, then she won't have to lift a finger to do away with her enemies," Johanna replied. Charming crossed his arms over his chest.

"She wants to make Gold do her dirty work then," he deduced. Snow looked at him.

"Or so she says," Snow added and he looked at her.

"You think that's not it?" he asked.

"It sounds like a ruse to me...I know her manipulations. Regina knows that if she lifts a finger to hurt us that she would lose Henry forever. But if Cora told her that they could get the job done without Regina having to touch us, then Henry wouldn't blame her," Snow replied. His brow furrowed.

"So she does want to control Gold," he said, confused a bit.

"No, that's just what she told Regina. Cora always wants power...she won't be satisfied with just using Gold. She wants it for herself," Snow realized. His eyes widened.

"She wants to kill him and become the Dark One herself," he said. Snow nodded, as Johanna looked at them both silently. Snow smiled at her.

"I knew you'd never betray me...this is what you brought us here to tell us, isn't it?" she asked. Johanna smiled, as they hugged.

"Of course dear…" she replied.

"Well...then Gold taking the dagger with him when he left was a good thing then. It's powerless outside town," he mentioned.

"We need to warn Emma," Snow said, as his phone started ringing.

"That's her," he said, as he answered.

"Emma…" he said and then listened, as his daughter frantically told him what was going on.

"Okay...okay...we'll be ready. But there's something you need to know too. Cora wants the dagger...and if Gold is hurt, she'll have a really good shot at it," he said, looking into Snow's eyes.

"Great...just what we need. I think the best person to take it when we get there would be Persephone. She can at least keep Cora at bay," Emma said. He nodded.

"That's a good idea...we'll be waiting at the dock," he replied, as he hung up.

"What's happened?" Snow asked.

"Apparently Cora isn't the only one that wants Gold dead. A pirate by the name of, get this, Hook, sailed his ship to New York and stabbed him with some kind of poison," he replied. She gasped.

"Magic is his only chance so they're on their way here on Hook's ship," he added.

"A ship...that's how Tiny got here! It has to be!" Snow exclaimed. He nodded.

"Which is probably how Cora got here too," he said. But Snow's brow furrowed.

"But why would Cora send Hook to New York to kill Gold if she wants to do that herself?" Snow wondered. He shrugged.

"He's a pirate...maybe she didn't. Gold has a lot of enemies; maybe this Captain Hook is one of them. Except…" David said, as he realized something suddenly.

"What is it?" she asked.

"How did he know that Gold would be powerless outside Storybrooke?" David wondered. She shrugged.

"Well, it is the Land Without Magic," she reminded.

"Or someone told him," David said, as he looked past her at Johanna.

"David...not you too…" she admonished.

"Regina could have mentioned it. She would have told her mother there was no magic outside of town. Hook could have easily picked that up if he's in league with them," Snow said.

"Yeah, I suppose so. Is that all you came to tell us? That Cora wants the dagger?" David asked the woman.

"Yes, of course," she answered. Snow smiled.

"I knew you weren't still in league with her...that you wouldn't betray me," the raven haired beauty repeated, as she hugged the woman.

"I know that you and my mother don't get along...but I think that with time, you can both put your differences aside. I know it won't be easy, but I have hope," Snow said. Johanna frowned.

"I don't think so…" the woman replied. Snow frowned and pulled back.

"She killed my husband and you want me to forgive her? I can't stand even co-existing with her and you want me to be friends with her?" Johanna asked incredulously.

"She...she didn't do it on purpose. She was just sad and her grief made her magic spiral out of control. She never meant to hurt anyone," Snow replied, defending her mother.

"Like you didn't mean to hurt anyone when you couldn't keep your mouth shut?" Johanna retorted. Snow recoiled from her at that point and David was there to put his arms around her.

"Snow was a child! She was young and Cora manipulated her, just like she manipulated you," David hissed.

"She didn't have to manipulate me into hating that Goddess when I learned she was the reason my husband was killed," Johanna countered.

"That's what Snow and Persephone do...they destroy everything," Cora said, as she and Regina appeared in a puff of magenta smoke. Snow looked at Johanna, who gazed back at her coldly. David closed his eyes, realizing what was coming and that it was exactly what he had feared. His wife being hurt.

"Johanna…" she uttered.

"Did you really think I could ever really be okay with that woman? Not even you are that naive, my dear Snow," Johanna replied.

"You were kind to me when my...Eva died. You tried to help me by giving me the idea to summon the Blue Fairy to save her," Snow said.

"But I couldn't do it. That candle would have traded her life for another...it was dark magic," she continued, as her eyes widened in realization and she looked over at Cora.

"I see you're finally figuring it out, dear," the witch mused.

"That...wasn't really the Blue Fairy, was it?" Snow asked, as Regina was also looking at her mother now. Cora shrugged.

"I wanted to see if you would actually do it. You see, I could have easily staged another accident for you like I did that day your horse was spooked by that snake and it almost threw you off. But I decided that was much too easy. After all, if you were killed, you would just join your mother in the Underworld," Cora said, as she slithered toward her. Charming tightened his arms around her and held her protectively.

"I decided that if I could turn your heart black as coal that it would be the one thing that could truly destroy your mother and Eva's entire legacy. But alas...you didn't take the bait and remained weak," Cora hissed. Tears slipped down Snow's cheeks.

"My mother...Eva wasn't really sick, was she?" Snow questioned. Cora smirked.

"Poison looked good on her...truly," the woman responded and Snow almost felt her knees give out at that. The raven haired beauty looked over at Johanna with stormy eyes.

"Did you know?" she squeaked, but the woman was silent and could only swallow thickly.

"Did. You. Know?!" Snow screamed at her through her tears.

"Yes...I knew she would be poisoned," Johanna admitted. Snow took a sharp breath.

"Why? She was kind to you…" Snow reminded.

"Your mother Persephone was the reason my husband was killed in that blizzard, but Eva was the reason he was out in it at all!" she cried back in vehemence.

"She had him traveling to deliver the news of your birth to her family in the north! All because of you! Always you, Princess Snow, fairest of them all, and to hell with anyone else!" she added.

"Shut the hell up! None of this is Snow's fault!" David roared protectively.

"From the moment she drew breath and her life began...mine ended. That's all I know," Johanna admitted. Snow sniffed and looked at Cora.

"But I'm not even Eva's daughter...if you knew that back then, then why do you still hate me so much? My real mother never did anything to you," Snow inquired. Cora smirked, relishing that she could further twist the knife in the Princess.

"Oh, it's true that at first I hated you because you were Eva's. She cost me Leopold and the crown. And then you stood in Regina's path to the crown. The people loved you and not her. But when I learned of your true origins, I realized that you were an even bigger abomination than I had imagined," Cora replied. David clenched his teeth at that.

"You were the Princess of the Underworld...Persephone's bastard child and you would still sit on the Throne meant for my daughter! Meant for me!" the bitter woman continued, as they stared at her in disbelief.

"So why do I hate you, Snow White?" Cora purred and then smirked sweetly.

"Because you exist, dear," she breathed. David glared daggers at her, briefly glancing at Regina, who remained as stunned as them and strangely silent, as he cradled his distraught wife protectively against his chest.

"And once I force your daughter to give me the dagger in exchange for your lives, I can finally rectify that and kill you all," Cora said.

"Like hell…" Persephone growled, as the library doors burst open and she strode in and up the stairs, her eyes dangerous lit with lavender magic. Cora raised her hand, firing her magenta magic and her stream was met with Persephone's, as they dueled. The Goddess had the edge and canceled Cora's attack, before stepping in front of Snow and David.

"You shall never harm my daughter and my family…" she hissed, as she glanced at Johanna.

"You know, if it made Snow happy, I could have learned to accept you as part of her life. I was hoping that I was wrong about you and Cora's manipulation didn't run so deep. Snow loves you and I am to blame for your pain, not her," Persephone reasoned. Johanna looked Snow.

"I know and part of me will always care for you, Snow...but you're still a part of this woman and I will always hate that," Johanna replied. Snow sniffed and closed her eyes.

"I don't care if part of you does hate me, Johanna, because I will always love you and I forgive you," Snow said, as she held out her. Johanna reached to take it, but before she could, Cora used her magic to pick the woman up and flung her through the glass face of the clock, plunging her to her death. Persephone was caught completely off guard and unable to stop the attack until it was too late and she gazed at Cora in disbelief.

"Her usefulness had run out," Cora stated, as Snow looked down onto the sidewalk below, before her knees gave out and she collapsed into violent sobs. Charming held her tightly, rocking her back and forth. Regina was stunned too, but then looked at Snow and felt the need to tell her that she had this coming. Her naivete and belief in goodness was futile and this only proved it.

"Maybe you'll finally see what I've known since Daniel died," she hissed, as her step-daughter looked up at her brokenly.

"This is what good gets you…" Regina continued.

"Shut up," Persephone growled, getting in front of her little girl.

"You know it like I do...you were right, we're not so different. Good gets the people we love killed. You lost your daughter and I lost Daniel!" Regina spat at the Goddess.

"Good saw us married off to men we didn't love, because we were too weak to do what was necessary until it was too late," the former Queen continued.

"Teach your daughter that good will just make her lose that perfect little family she loves so much, because once my mother manages to get the dagger...it's all over for good," Regina said ominously, sounding more like a warning than a statement, as she and Cora disappeared in a puff of smoke. To Persephone, it almost sounded like Regina was pleading for them to stop her mother in a way. Then she thought about her great-grandson and realized that perhaps that was indeed what Regina was asking for. For now, she turned to her daughter and son-in-law, hugging her baby tightly and letting her cry.

~*~

As Emma saw the Storybrooke Harbor in the distance, she felt a sense of home. It wasn't a feeling she was used to, especially in her childhood. In fact, the only time she felt home before coming to Storybrooke was in the dreamscape. But after being away from Storybrooke for the first time since she came here, she realized that she had truly found the place she belonged. She spotted her father's truck parked near the docks and felt as anxious as ever to see her parents.

"How is he?" she asked, turning to Neal.

"Not good...we need to figure out what magic we need to heal this," he said.

"If anyone knows, Persephone will…" Emma offered, as she put her hands on Henry's shoulders. Neal docked the ship and she was still curious about how he even knew how to sail a ship like this. Not to mention the obvious history he had with that Hook guy. She was definitely going to hold him to telling that story later.

Her father was waiting and helped Neal lift Gold into the back of his truck, before helping Belle into the box as well. But Emma was a bit surprised not to see her Mother anywhere.

"Where's Mom?" she asked.

"Persephone is with her...something happened just after you called and it wasn't good. I'll tell you on the way to the shop," David replied, as he ushered Henry into the cab of the truck, while Neal hopped into the back with his father. They would be dropping the kid off with Ruby on the way.

"You must be Baelfire," David said sternly and Emma saw him actually gulp. She smirked. Oh, she was going to enjoy Neal being afraid of her father way too much.

"Uh...yeah, but I go by Neal," he replied.

"So I've been told," Charming said with an icy gaze.

"Dad...is Mom okay?" Emma interjected. It was probably best at the moment to distract her father away from Neal Cassidy. He sighed.

"Physically she's fine...emotionally, yeah that's a whole other story," he replied, as they got into the truck. She would get the full story on the way.

~*~

Back at the loft, Persephone made her daughter some tea, as Snow curled up on her bed. The tears had stopped and dried on her beautiful face, as she grieved for a woman she cared about; a woman she thought cared about her. But she was wrong and the betrayal of that stung too.

"You were right…" Snow sniffed.

"Shh...my sweet girl," Persephone cooed, as she put a soothing hand on her daughter's back.

"I wanted to be wrong, baby...so much. Because I knew if I was right that you would get hurt and you must know that that is the last thing I would ever want," she told her, as her phone chimed. Snow sniffed and sat up.

"Is it Charming?" she asked. Persephone nodded.

"They're on the way to the shop. I need to go make sure Cora stays out so I can figure out how to save him," she replied.

"I know exactly how to save him," Snow said. Persephone's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" she asked.

"The candle…" Snow said.

"Oh Snow...no, that candle cannot be used. You know what has to be done to make that work," Persephone replied.

"How else are we going to stop her and save Gold? If she gets that dagger...my family is dead!" Snow cried. Persephone looked at her and realized she was right. There were other ways she could save Gold from that poison, but they all required time; time they did not have. But she would be damned if she allowed Snow to darken her heart. She'd rather go back to Hades than watch her sweet Snow take that burden.

"That is not a burden I can allow you to bare, my sweet girl," she said, as she caressed her daughter's beautiful face, which was marred with confusion, not noticing the tiny sprinkle of poppy dust that came from her mother's hand.

"Mother...what do you mean?" Snow asked and then felt very drowsy, before falling back asleep on the bed. Persephone put her legs up on the bed and kissed her forehead.

"Please forgive me Snow, but I cannot let you use that candle. This will be my burden and I will stop Cora, once and for all. Your heart is good and pure whereas mine is not untouched. Yours will remain pure, for I shall never allow Cora to get her way and darken your heart," she said, as she disappeared and reappeared at Regina's vault. She bypassed any of the former Queen's protections with ease and moved the coffin aside, before descending into the vault. She walked along the wall, as it breathed red and the beating thundered in her ears. She found the one she was looking for and determination lined her face.

"You will not be the one to do this, Snow. As Queen of the Underworld, this will be my task," Persephone said, as she disappeared again.

~*~

"We need some kind of protection spell to keep them out," Emma said, as they put Gold on the cot in the back room.

"I have invisible chalk to create a barrier...but it would be much stronger if the magic came from you, Ms. Swan," Gold rasped. Neal looked at her in surprise.

"You have magic?" he asked in disbelief. She looked uncomfortable, but nodded.

"I'm a novice though. I've barely even begun to learn anything," Emma replied.

"You didn't mention that. I think we need to work on our communication," Neal muttered and she rolled her eyes at his saltiness.

"Magic is emotion though...keeping them out means protecting those you love," Belle surmised, earning a surprised look from Gold. She smiled.

"You don't spend time with you and not learn a lot about magic," she said and he gave her a soft smile. The dynamic between them surprised Neal greatly. He never expected that his father would ever be able to love anything but power ever again. But clearly he was starting to see that wasn't exactly the case. Emma sighed and went into the front of the shop with Neal and her father behind her.

"You know how to use a sword?" David asked the other man. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a bit rusty, but I can hold my own," he replied, as Charming pulled an extra sword from one of Gold's weapon holders, handing it to him by the hilt, while readying his own weapon. Emma took a deep breath and reached out with her magic. A pulse of light burst forth from her and washed over the entrance to the shop.

"I have no idea if that can keep her out," Emma said, as she turned to them. She would soon have her answer, as Cora's magic hit the door and it rattled. David stood ready for battle and it wasn't long, before the mother and daughter team broke through her novice level shield. Cora launched a fireball and David jumped in front of Emma and Neal, deflecting it with his blade. But Cora used her magic to pick him up and toss him out of the shop. The door slammed shut and David was unable to get back inside.

"Dad!" Emma cried.

"I'd worry about yourself, Miss Swan," Cora warned, as Emma fired a pulse of magic at her. But Regina canceled it with one of her fireballs. Neal charged them, but Cora simply batted him away.

"Enough of this," she said, as she poofed them away. They reappeared in the woods and Emma cursed.

"Dammit...let's go!" she cried, as they started running back toward the shop.

~*~

Persephone strode into the shop from the back way, observing Belle cradling Gold.

"The candle...where it is?" she asked. Belle looked at her in confusion.

"Candle?" she asked, but Gold simply pointed to the shelf on their right. Persephone opened a box on the second shelf and took out the dark artifact.

"What are you going to do?" Belle asked.

"I'm going to save him and kill Cora," Persephone replied bluntly, as the candle was lit by her magic and she opened the box. Belle watched her take a heart from him it and let the wax drip onto it.

"Cora…" she breathed and then saw the two women burst into the backroom. She concealed the heart, as she watched her target approach the Dark One.

"Oh Rumple...this pains me greatly," Cora said.

"You stay away from him!" Belle cried, as she got up to stand in front of him. But Cora flung her away and she fell unconscious. Persephone clenched her teeth. Yes...this was the only way. Cora could not find the dagger. She had to be stopped and sending her to the Underworld was the only way.

"I'm sorry for this, Regina...I truly am. But she's given me no choice," Persephone told the former Queen, who looked confused.

"This ends today, Cora. You have proved that as long as you are alive that my family is in danger," Persephone said. Cora raised her hand and Persephone began to choke. The Goddess allowed herself to be thrust back against the wall and held there by the Sorceress.

"The only one going to visit your husband today is you. In fact, I'd say he would probably reward me for returning his wayward whore of a wife to him," Cora hissed, as Persephone coughed.

"I'm sorry...truly I am...that it must be this way," the raven haired Goddess replied.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Cora asked, but then felt something thrust into her chest. Persephone fell to her feet, as Cora stumbled away and then fell to the floor.

"Mother?!" Regina cried, as she cradled her.

"What. Did. You. Do?!" Regina shouted.

"I'm sorry...but you know as well as I do how dangerous she was to everyone, including Henry!" she replied.

"No, I don't know! How dare you?! Mother…" Regina cried, as Cora passed away in her arms. Regina's eyes darkened, as she glared at the Goddess.

"I'll make you pay for this...I swear it!" Regina cried.

"You go after Snow and the same will happen to you. Do not make me do that," Persephone warned, as she helped Belle up, just as Gold got to his feet, healed from the poison now. He stood over Regina and gazed down at Cora.

"Come to gloat?" Regina hissed.

"She once meant a lot to me. I'm simply paying my respects, dearie," he retorted, as David burst into the shop from the back entrance. He saw the scene and sided up to his mother-in-law.

"You should call the hospital and have them send the morgue van," she whispered.

"Yeah...did you?" he asked, without actually saying it. She nodded.

"It had to be done and I wasn't about to let Snow be involved," she replied.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I used dark magic to take Cora down...that candle she mentioned earlier. Cora finally pushed her far enough that she wanted to use it herself. I took that decision away from her and she won't be happy with me. But I refused to allow her to darken her heart," Persephone replied. He sighed.

"I get it…" he said and she knew he would.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Safe back at the loft," she replied. He nodded and made the call, just as Emma arrived. He gave her a brief description of what had happened and she took over the scene, allowing him to go to the loft and be there for Snow…


	56. Second Chances

Chapter 56: Second Chances

Emma worked on filling out the report in the back of Gold's shop while she waited for the morgue van to arrive. She kept a close on Regina, as the other woman sat on the floor beside her mother's body, nearly catatonic. She looked sad, but Emma could also see something else in the woman's eyes. Relief? Emma suspected that Cora had been pulling Regina's strings since she showed up in town and her presence couldn't have been easy to take for a woman that was used to being so in control. There was more of course, as her father had given her a brief explanation of the situation earlier involving her mother and for that reason, Emma could not be sad that Cora was gone. She was too dangerous in respect to her parents and subsequently Henry. She only hoped Regina could eventually see that her Mother would have hurt Henry in the same ways Snow had told her that Cora had hurt Regina.

But as Doc and Bashful arrived with the morgue van and tried to place a sheet over Cora's body, the fury in Regina's eyes returned.

"Get away…" she snapped.

"Regina...they need to move the body. We need to go through the proper channels according to this realm," Emma responded.

"Like hell…" the woman snapped, as she and the body disappeared. Emma sighed and looked at the two dwarfs.

"I guess you guys can go. She's probably not going to cooperate," Emma said, as she looked over at Gold and Belle briefly, before going out into the front of the shop where Neal stood. He was on the phone and she couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"Yeah...I'm not sure when I'll be back exactly. I want to spend some time with Henry," Neal said and then listened to the woman on the other end. He smiled.

"Yeah, I want you to meet him too," he said, as he listened again.

"Uh...yeah, I don't know about bringing him to New York yet. I'd have to talk to Emma about that kind of stuff. Plus he has an adoptive Mom too...it's kind of a mess," Neal replied, as he turned to see her watching him. He seemed to pale considerably, as he continued to listen to his fiance.

"Yeah, maybe you could drive up here for a few days. Listen, I need to go for now though," he said, as he listened again.

"I love you too...I'll talk to you later," he said, as he hung up the phone and they shared an uncomfortable silence.

"You really want bring her here?" Emma asked.

"She's part of my life, Emma. I'm going to marry her. She wants to get to know Henry and I love her," he replied. Emma didn't like how much it stung when he said that and brushed it away, refusing to deal with what it might mean.

"This isn't a normal situation though. Bringing an outsider here could be really bad!" she stressed.

"Yeah, this isn't a normal town for sure. I've been here ten minutes and there was already a murder. Maybe New York isn't such a bad idea for Henry," he countered. She looked at him in disbelief.

"You want to take my son to New York with you?" she asked.

"Our son...and I have a life in New York. We're going to have to figure out this whole custody thing," he stated. She looked at him in disbelief again.

"Is this your idea or hers?" Emma asked, as Gold and Belle came in from the back of the shop.

"Emma…" he started to say.

"Tell me the truth," she snapped.

"Am I going to be served with custody paperwork or something like that?" she asked. He sighed.

"Tamara might have suggested I hire a lawyer to work out a custody agreement, but I shot her down. I told her that we can do this without all the red tape," he replied.

"We have to do this without the red tape! There are people in Henry's life that I don't want people outside this town knowing about!" Emma exclaimed.

"Yeah, I doubt they'd buy that your parents are his grandparents," he commented.

"Not to mention if someone saw magic being used. If the wrong people found out about Storybrooke, everyone's lives could be in danger," she warned.

"Emma...neither Tamara and I would never want anyone to get hurt. And I don't even know how to begin to tell her about all this. You can trust me, I know that's hard considering," he replied. She sighed.

"I know you'd never want to do something that might hurt Henry. I'm not really worried about you, Neal. It's everyone else out there, including your fiance. I don't know her and I need to before she spends a bunch of time with our son," Emma said.

"Fair enough. Maybe Storybrooke isn't the best place for this. You mentioned your parents can leave too. Why not bring them to New York with us next time?" he suggested. She sighed.

"I'll talk to them...and if things calm down around here, maybe it will be possible," she offered. He nodded.

"That works for me. For now, I'm here and I want to get to know my son. How about dinner?" he asked.

"Granny's at seven. I'll bring the kid and my parents. We'll start with that," she replied. He nodded, as she left and he turned to his father.

"I guess I'm glad you're not dead," Neal mentioned, as he turned to leave.

"Bae...wait!" he called, as Neal stopped.

"My house...I have several guest rooms. One is yours if you'd like," Gold offered.

"Thanks...but I'm not ready for that. I think I'll get a room at the Inn," he replied.

"Bae...please," Gold pleaded.

"Look, just because I'm glad you're not dead doesn't change things between us. I'm here for Henry. End of story," he said harshly, as he left. Belle put her hands on his shoulders.

"Give him time," she said. He nodded. It wasn't like he had much choice.

~*~

David burst into the loft and sighed in relief, as he spotted his wife asleep on the bed. He knelt over her and gently brushed a hand through her hair. He caressed her face and she stirred. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss. Snow mewled into his kiss and kissed back, before her eyes flew open. Their eyes met and he sat down beside her, as she got her bearings.

"My mother…" she uttered. He nodded.

"What happened? How long have I been asleep?" Snow asked.

"Not long...but Cora is dead," he told her. Snow swallowed thickly.

"Then she did it…" the princess realized. She looked at him with warring emotions in her eyes and he watched the myriad of anger, sadness, and relief pass over her expressions.

"She didn't have to do that," Snow said sternly.

"You know why she did though," David replied.

"She can't just take choices away from me like that!" she cried.

"I don't exactly agree with how she did it, but I get why," he said. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Of course you do," she murmured. He sighed and took her hands in his own.

"I once took an arrow meant for Regina to stop you from darkening your heart and I would do it again in a heartbeat," he confessed.

"Why? Why is it so important to everyone that they keep me as pure as my name?" she asked.

"Because I know that if you had done what your mother did that it would have weighed heavily on you," he replied.

"It's Cora...I'd never be sorry she was gone," Snow admitted.

"Maybe not, but I know you...I know your heart. Taking life is not what you do," he said.

"I've killed before," she reminded.

"In self defense...it's different," he argued.

"But this is self defense! Don't you see, Charming? Cora was going to take everything from me, just like Regina did! I think she's right!" Snow exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"What has good ever really gotten me? I mean...I have always clung to what my...Eva taught me. Do good and good things will come to you," she recited.

"And that's true…" he said.

"Not really...because good got us cursed!" she cried.

"Snow…" he started to say.

"No...because I couldn't do the difficult thing and make that judgment, Regina was spared and then she cursed us. I lost you and my daughter for twenty-eight years," she stated.

"Yes, we had the saving grace of the dreamscape, but can you imagine what it would be like if we didn't?" she asked. He looked into her stormy eyes.

"Emma would have grown up not knowing us at all. She would have thought we just left her on the side of a road!" Snow cried, as the tears came then.

"She would have thought we didn't love her! That's what good would have gotten us," she hissed, as he took her in his arms and pulled her down into his lap.

"But that didn't happen and because we chose good, I like to believe we were rewarded with the dreamscape," he said.

"Because my mother wanted it," she reminded.

"But Morpheus had to grant the request. If he thought we weren't good, then he could have denied that request," he countered.

"I guess I didn't think about it that way," she murmured. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Would you have been mad at me if I had done it?" she asked.

"I don't think mad is the right word. I would have been really worried about you though. I know that you'd do anything to protect us, but I would have felt a bit helpless I think. Because you'd be hurting and there wouldn't really be anything I could do to make it better," he replied. She swallowed.

"If...if my heart wasn't untouched...would you love me less?" she squeaked. He shook his head.

"That's not possible...I've love you no matter what and I mean that. You know, I've heard it said that evil isn't born. It's made and yet, after everything that's happened to you...you never let it unmake. You remained good," he mentioned.

"Because I have you. Without you...I don't want to think about who I would be," she replied.

"It's the same for me," he agreed.

"Snow...I love you, no matter what. I know that if your mother hadn't stepped in and you had killed Cora, then it would have been because you were trying to save our family. There is nothing you will ever do that would make me stop loving you," he implored.

"Even if my heart turned black?" she asked, her eyes shining with tears.

"Even then...but it won't. I know that for sure," he replied.

"How?" she asked. He smiled and kissed her passionately, leaving her breathless, as their lips parted. Her eyes fluttered opened and she gazed into those sapphire eyes she loved getting lost in. He put his hand to her chest where her heart was.

"Because I know it better than anyone," he responded. She melted into him at that and their lips met again with ardent fervor. Their lips parted, as they heard the loft door open and were relieved to see Emma and Henry come in. Snow hurried to them and hugged her daughter, while Henry dove into David's arms.

"Dad told me what happened with Johanna. Are you okay?" Emma asked. She nodded sadly.

"I'll be okay...I have my family and that's all I need," Snow replied.

"But I know how much she meant to you. That had to hurt," Emma countered. Snow nodded.

"It does...but I don't have to go through this alone," Snow said, as they huddled into a hug with the boys.

"And the other thing?" Emma asked.

"I was really mad at first...but I know why she did it. And it probably saved us all," Snow replied, as she looked past them and at her Mother in the doorway.

"You have every right to be angry with me for doing that, but I won't apologize for protecting you," Persephone stated. Snow nodded.

"I know...I would have done the same to protect Emma," she said tearfully.

"I should have listened to you about Johanna...I'm sorry," Snow sniffed. Persephone hugged her fiercely.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, my sweet girl," she told her.

"Never apologize for trying to see the best in people...it is a quality that few have and is seriously lacking in this world," Persephone stated. Snow pulled back and smiled at her, before frowning slightly.

"How was Regina?" she asked.

"Very angry at me," Persephone replied.

"Does that mean my Mom might try to get revenge again?" Henry asked worriedly. Emma looked at her parents.

"She's hurting a bit right now, because someone she loves was a threat to everyone. It will not be easy for her to deal with, I'm afraid, Henry," Persephone said honestly. He lowered his head sadly.

"So if she tries to hurt people like Cora did...are you going to have to do the same to her?" he asked. The Goddess knelt before him.

"Your mother Regina is a very far cry from Cora. More importantly, Regina knows what her mother was. I am hoping, in time, she comes to terms with what I had to do. I never take a life lightly, Henry. I will only ever do so if there is imminent danger to this family," she promised. Henry was a boy that appreciated honesty and despite his young age, she felt there was no need to sugar coat it. Henry was very smart and she felt he deserved to know the entire gravity of the situation. Henry nodded.

"Should I call her?" he asked, looking at them.

"I think that would be a good idea, honey. I'm sure she'd love hearing from you," Snow suggested, as he went into his grandparent's bedroom to make the call. Emma sighed.

"On another note, Neal wants to have dinner with Henry. I'm tagging along and I really don't want to have another awkward meal with my ex. I was hoping my wonderful, loving parents would come too?" Emma asked, looking at them expectantly. Snow smiled and hugged her.

"We'd be happy to join you. It's time we were properly acquainted anyway, especially if he's going to be a part of Henry's life," Snow said. David grunted beside her.

"And you will behave," she added, eyeing her husband. He rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I already didn't punch him earlier. I'd say he's already getting off easy," David protested.

"I know, but you still can't punch him tonight," Snow warned.

"Yeah...if it wasn't for the kid, I'd say go for it. But let's not traumatize him more," Emma agreed.

"Emma…" Snow chided. David pouted and Emma smirked.

"Besides, he's already terrified of you," she told him. He perked up slightly.

"Really?" he asked. She grinned and nodded. He smirked.

"Well, he should be," he agreed. Snow sighed and slipped her arms around his neck.

"Please be nice...I'll make it worth your while," she purred softly, but not softly enough.

"Speaking of being traumatized…" Emma groaned, as Snow smiled sultrily at him.

"Fine...I'll be nice. For you and Henry," David agreed, as she kissed him on the lips and then the cheek. Persephone smiled at them, as Snow got a look in her eye.

"Oh, I'll go call Belle and invite her and Gold," she said.

"Wait Mom…I'm not sure that's good idea. Neal is still pretty ticked off at Gold," Emma warned.

"Oh…" she said sadly, but then got a coy look on her face. Charming had always affectionately dubbed it her "up to something" face.

"We'll just pretend I don't know that," she said.

"Baby, why don't you invite Jefferson," Snow added, as she went to make her call. Emma rolled her eyes and David chuckled, as he pulled out his phone, before dialing the Hatter.

~*~

Regina stared at her mother, as her body now lay in state in her family crypt. There was a time that she wanted this...to be rid of her mother completely. She wasn't a fool and knew how dangerous Cora was. But she had never been able to finish the job with her mother. Which was ironic, considering she had ended her father's life, though not without anguish. Still...it did not give that sanctimonious Goddess the right to do this. Especially all in the name of protecting her precious daughter. Snow White...her rage at her step-daughter had only been reignited by this turn of events. Why was it always her? What was it about her that made people move the Heavens and Earth to appease the little retch? She had everything, as usual. Snow's mother would do anything for her. In some ways, Cora would have done anything for Regina, but it was never the same. Cora had done unspeakable things to give Regina things that she didn't want. Like a husband three times her age and a crown she didn't want, at first. But Persephone had also gone to extreme lengths for Snow.

She was not without blood on her hands, for her inadvertent storm that had pounded the Enchanted Forest on the day of Snow's birth happened to kill more than just Johanna's husband. Many had been lost that day in the blustering cold. It was a storm that was still spoke of many years after it had happened and no meteorological event had ever rivaled the power of the storm on that day. Regina had never really made the connection between it and Snow's birth. But it made sense. Nothing good had ever come from Snow's existence, as far as she was concerned. Okay...maybe that wasn't completely true. It was not lost on her that Henry only existed, because Snow and subsequently Emma existed. But her being the Princess of the Underworld certainly made sense now. Nothing but death and destruction followed her. Never mind that Regina had caused a lot of that death and destruction because of her. Snow was just another woman in a long line of them that had caused war and strife in their Kingdoms. Her mother was willing to do anything to see to Snow's safety and happiness. Learning that Snow had been happy with her family in her dreams for twenty-eight years was a low blow for Regina. She thought she had truly won with the curse and enjoyed making Mary Margaret's life lonely and miserable, all the while, remaining unaware that she retreated to a utopian like dreamscape every night. She just wanted to win! But she never did. No matter what, Snow always won. Not only did she have a mother willing to do anything for her, but she had a husband willing to do anything to protect her as well. She knew David would willingly lay down his life for his family. She hadn't had anyone willing to do such things for her since Daniel and it hurt deeply. Then there was Emma, an ever prevalent thorn in her side that also obviously loved Snow very much, while Regina's own child had rejected her in favor of his biological family. As always, it all came back to Snow White.

Her step-daughter was also the key to making Persephone pay for her treachery. It was not lost on Regina either that she was no match for the Goddess' power. Her mother was almost evenly matched with her, but she had a feeling that Persephone had not unleashed the full potential of her power, even on Cora. Instead, she chose to humiliate her mother by exchanging her life for Rumpelstiltskin's of all beings and by using an artifact of dark magic of Cora's own creation. Making Persephone pay for it was only possible through hurting Snow though. How exactly to do that with so many people ready to jump to defend her, she wasn't sure yet. But she would find a way. Persephone would not get away with this and she would have her revenge. Someday, Henry would understand why she had to do this. He would see eventually that Regina was not the bad one. It was Snow and he would realize he was better off with her.

~*~

Hook opened his bleary eyes and tried to focus on his surroundings, as well as figure out what had occurred. The last thing he remembered was stabbing the crocodile with his Hook. But judging by the way his head was killing him, someone had knocked him out. He heard a peculiar clicking sound behind him and slowly turned, finding a dark haired woman standing above him with a pistol pointed at him. It was a much more sophisticated looking pistol than he had ever seen, but he definitely knew the danger of this weapon and put his hands up.

"Easy lass...no need for that," he said, surrendering to her.

"Get up," she snapped, as a man arrived and sized up the pirate.

"So this is him?" he asked. Tamara smirked and twisted his hook off, confiscating the appendage.

"The real thing," she said smugly.

"Then it's time," the man said, as he tied Hook up and marched him out the back way to a car.

"We're finally going to find my father and I'll have my revenge," he hissed.

"Ah revenge...now there's something I know about. Untie me...and I'd be glad to assist," Hook bargained.

"Nice try pirate, but I know the minute we untied you that you would double cross us," Tamara said, as her partner stuffed into the trunk at gunpoint.

"Did Neal invite you to Storybrooke?" the man asked.

"Not yet...but he will. Besides, now that we know there is magic there, the town might be visible again. It's time, Greg," she confirmed. He smirked.

"Then we'll find my father," he said. She smirked with a nod.

"And destroy magic," she added, as they got into the car. Tamara put Maine in as their destination on the car's GPS and they set out for their mission…

~*~

The Charmings entered the diner that evening and found Neal already had a booth for them. They moved a table over to join with the booth, allowing Emma and Persephone to sit in the chairs, while Henry sat beside his father and Snow and David slid into the other side of the booth. Neal seemed not to notice the other vacant chairs, for the silence between all of them was awkward at best.

"So...I'm Neal," he introduced himself.

"Yep," David said sourly, while Snow nudged him under the table.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Neal. I'm Snow and I think you've met David," she said, as he shook his hand. Her husband grunted beside her.

"Yeah...we met," he grumbled.

"Charming...behave," she hissed, as he loosened up a little.

"It's okay...he has every right to be angry with me, you both do. Maybe we should just get it all out now," Neal suggested.

"You sent our daughter to jail," David snapped.

"Actually...come to find out, it wasn't him," Emma interjected, as her parents looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Snow asked.

"Well...Emma and I were preparing to run off together to Canada when August tracked me down. For what it's worth, I loved your daughter and never had any intention of leaving her," Neal said, looking at them both respectfully. Finding out that they had indeed been there for Emma in her dreams and seeing how much she adored them had modified his original opinion of them. Especially since it was his father that was responsible for tearing them all apart in the first place.

"Where does August come into this?" David asked, his piercing gaze on Neal softening a little.

"He found me and told me that he knew who I really was. Then he told me about the curse and who Emma really was. I'll admit...I screwed up. I couldn't handle the possibility of facing my father then," Neal admitted.

"Then the anonymous call that sent Emma to prison?" Snow asked.

"August did that...he convinced me it was the only way for Emma to find her way here was if I either told her everything and went with her or...let her go. For what it's worth, I thought if I did tell her everything, she would have thought I was crazy. I didn't know that she already knew everything," he explained.

"But you still left her, because you didn't want to face your father," David said. His tone was a little less harsh now, since he learned about August's involvement. But he had always waited a long time to grill this man about what he did to his daughter. Snow squeezed his hand.

"Yes...but my father chose power over me. This world wasn't the first one I landed in and the one I did was hell," Neal explained.

"Is that how you know Hook?" Emma inquired. He sighed.

"Yeah...and make that the second world I landed in was hell. The first one was good. A nice family took me in, but it didn't last long. Pan's shadow showed up to take them, but instead of breaking up another family, I let him take me instead," Neal confessed.

"You met Peter Pan?" Henry asked in awe, but Neal couldn't smile.

"Yes Henry, but he's not like the stories in this world portray him. Pan is pure, unadulterated evil and no, I'm not exaggerating," he told them," Neal said gravely.

"I can confirm that he is correct about Pan," Persephone added.

"Have you met him, Mother?" Snow asked curiously.

"I haven't had the displeasure, but I have met the many people he has sent to the Underworld. His magic is very powerful and he is very dangerous," she replied.

"So you met Hook in Neverland and that's how you know how to sail his ship?" Emma asked. He nodded.

"Hook took me in for a while when he fished me out of the sea after I broke free from Pan's shadow. He had a sort of affection for me, because of my mother," Neal explained.

"The woman that left your father for him," David said and Neal looked surprised.

"He told you?" Neal asked. David shrugged.

"Believe it or not, your father and I do have a friendship of sorts," the prince replied.

"Do you know what he's done?" Neal asked.

"I know exactly what he's done," David retorted.

"He did it all for his child. I may not approve of everything he did and the effect it had on everyone else, but I get it. I'd do anything for Emma...even kill if it came down to it," David confessed.

"And you might not have understood that before, but something tells me you're starting to grasp exactly what you might be willing to do for your child," the prince added. Neal pulled back slightly and nodded, as the bell on the door rang.

"So Hook took you in?" Emma asked.

"For a while, but when Pan came to him and told him that he wanted me, Hook sold me out to him to save his own skin," Neal said bitterly. David snorted.

"That figures...this was the guy working with Cora," he said, as Gold, Belle, and Jefferson approached.

"What are you doing here?" Neal asked.

"I invited them...they're our friends," Snow answered, as they took their seats at the table.

"So you and Hook...care to share that tale?" David asked.

"Let's just say that he took delight in my humiliation before I was the Dark One. Then I paid him back by taking his hand," Gold replied.

"So that's why he wanted revenge," Emma surmised.

"Among other things," Gold said vaguely.

"Then it's true what he said? About my mother?" Neal questioned, as they looked at each other.

"She abandoned us, Bae. She left you to run off with that pirate," Gold reminded.

"And you killed her for it later," he said angrily.

"I did a lot of horrible things, especially after I lost you. I will not deny that. Letting you slip away will always be my biggest regret though," Gold confessed, as Belle squeezed his hand.

"And you've really forgiven him?" Neal asked Emma's parents. David shrugged.

"We have our family back. If not for your father, I might have found myself in a fake marriage to another woman if Regina had gotten her way. He may have gotten something out of it, but so did I," David said, as he put his arm around Snow.

"I got to fall in love with my wife all over again. I didn't expect to, but I got to fall in love with Mary Margaret, just like I fell in love with Snow. Regardless of why he did it, he still gave that to me," he said, as Snow looked at him with a dreamy stare.

"And it changed my life as Mary Margaret too. I felt like nothing until you came back into my life," she said, as he kissed her tenderly.

"Are they always like this?" Neal asked, as food arrived for them and Emma bit into an onion ring.

"This is mild, trust me. Wait till they start feeding each other or sharing dessert. It gets indecent and embarrassing really quickly," Emma commented, as she bit into her grilled cheese.

"You really think he deserves a second chance?" Neal asked her seriously and she looked up at him.

"Doesn't everyone?" she countered and he took a sharp breath, realizing that was talking about him. Emma didn't have to let him into Henry's life if she really didn't want to. At first, she thought maybe she was only doing it for the kid, but now he realized that she was granting him a second chance that he really wasn't sure he deserved considering all the pain he had caused her. Her parents certainly seemed to have quite the influence on those around them. He could see it now that they were all together as a group. There was an amiable comfort between all of them. Even his father seemed somewhat relaxed, which was something he hadn't really ever seen. Love and friendship certainly seemed to be far more powerful than he realized. And they were letting him in, maybe not for his sake, but for Henry's and his father's. He sighed and found himself finally starting to accept all this.

"Okay...he's got his second chance," Neal told her, knowing that everyone heard him. Belle grinned and squeezed his hand and even though Gold's expression remained stoic, she knew he was happier now than she had ever seen...


	57. Absolutes

Chapter 57: Absolutes

After dinner and dessert was eaten, their family gathering truly became a celebration. A bottle of champagne arrived at their table, via Ruby, and though none of them claimed responsibility for it, David had a feeling that Gold had ordered it. After all, he had a lot to celebrate and David was hopeful that this was truly a second chance for all of them. With the drinks flowing, the mingling began and Snow was happy to observe it all while sitting next to her daughter, who wasn't going easy on the champagne.

"So Neal and Henry seem to be taking to each other well," Snow mentioned, as they glanced at them and noticed that Neal was flipping through the book with him. Neal seemed intrigued by it all, as Henry chattered a mile a minute.

"Yeah…" Emma agreed.

"How do you feel about that?" Snow asked. Emma shrugged.

"It's fine…" she replied.

"No...I mean how do you feel about Neal being back in your life?" Snow asked. Emma sighed.

"We are not discussing this," the blonde refuted.

"Emma...I know that I'm prying, but this is a man you once loved. This man is the father of your child. Having him back in your life has to bring up some old feelings," Snow said.

"It does…" Emma admitted.

"But it doesn't matter," she added.

"Of course it matters, honey. If you still have feelings for Neal…" Snow started to say.

"Whoa...back that horse back up to the gate, Mom. I never said I still having feelings for Neal. Besides...he's engaged," Emma revealed.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't still have feelings for you," Snow countered.

"Mom...he's engaged," Emma repeated.

"So was your father when we met," Snow argued.

"It's not the same! Dad was in an arranged marriage. Neal actually loves his fiance. I think what I'm most worried about is what happens when he has to tell her about all of this," Emma lamented. Snow bit her bottom lip.

"That will be a lot for a person not from our land to swallow," she agreed. Emma sighed and Snow put her hand atop her daughter's.

"Hey, it will be okay. No matter what...your Dad and I are here for you," Snow promised. Emma smiled.

"I know," she replied.

"Neal mentioned introducing his fiance to Henry," Emma said.

"And that makes you nervous," Snow deduced.

"I mean, he wants to tell her about all this. He wants to be honest with her and I get that...believe me," she lamented.

"But you're worried that she might react badly, which could have unpredictable consequences," Snow realized. She nodded.

"I don't think I have to tell you how bad it would be if she actually did see magic and got it on camera or something. If the wrong people found out that magic is real…" Emma trailed off. Snow nodded.

"I've seen enough movies to know how bad that could be. But maybe Storybrooke isn't the best place for this," she suggested.

"That's what Neal said. He suggested another trip to New York and since you and Dad could come with me this time...it might be the way to go," Emma surmised. Snow smiled and squeezed her hand.

"We'll figure this out. You also aren't considering that she might be accepting of all this," Snow offered. Emma gave her a questioning look.

"Mom...I love your optimism, but we both know I didn't inherit it from you," she replied.

"I know," Snow said.

"But I love you for thinking the best and seeing the best in people," Emma replied. Snow hummed and frowned.

"Except when it blinds me to people's true intentions and I get hurt for it," she muttered. Emma put her hand on her mother's.

"Mom...I'm sorry for what Johanna did, but I don't want it to harden you. If you think for a moment that I don't admire how you're able to still see the best in people even after everything you've been through, then you're wrong, because it is one of the things I admire about you most," Emma confessed.

"Really?" Snow asked.

"Really," Emma confirmed.

"We'd all be lost without you and your optimism, Mom," she added.

"She's right about that," David said, overhearing, as he approached the table and then leaned down to kiss her cheek. Snow bit her bottom lip, as she smiled up at him and then tugged him by the collar so she could press her lips to his.

"Mmm...I know I'd be lost without our family too," she mentioned, as she got teary for a moment.

"I was lost as Mary Margaret...lost in a repetitive loop of misery and loneliness," she added. He pulled her to her feet and into his arms.

"Never again, my darling...I'm never letting anything separate us again," he promised, as he looked over at their grandson.

"Hey kid...a little help here," he said. Henry grinned and hurried over to the jukebox. He knew the numbers of several of the romantic songs his grandparents enjoyed and selected one. Emma loved to tease them about their love of cheesy love ballads, but she also secretly loved that they enjoyed things like that together; that her father didn't need a reason to sweep her mother into his arms and dance with her. Hell, she had walked in on them dancing together with no music. That was just them though. Snow and Charming never truly needed any of that, for every moment was made special just by being together. And on this night, there was much love and laughter to go around.

Neal found himself marveling at it all. Never could he have imagined his life would lead here. He was in the same room as his father and not trying to escape. He had a son now. That son's mother was Emma...a woman he loved deeply and set free. Then there were Emma's parents and her grandmother, the actual Goddess. He may have been from the Enchanted Forest, but he had never put much stock in fairytale romances. Sure, he had fallen for Emma, but it had hardly been perfect. They were more like Bonnie and Clyde. There was love there, but ultimately, it ended badly. He had also fallen in love with Tamara, finally moving on after years of getting over Emma. But even then, what he had with Tamara seemed to pale in comparison to Snow and Charming. Emma's parents actually seemed to need each other like air. Even when Charming had been several feet away at the bar, his eyes were never far from Snow. And they were not apart for long, as he quickly closed the distance between them. He had never seen anything quite like it and he was probably pushing three-hundred if you wanted to get technical, though most of those years were when he was stunted in Neverland. His parent's marriage was terrible. Even at his young age, he had been able to tell that. His Mom hadn't done much to hide her disdain for his Papa though. He knew a lot of it had to do with his cowardice. Their family had a hard life being that he was the village coward, but even as a boy, he knew his Mother didn't seem to love his Papa. He remembered how sad it made him and how he wondered what it would be like to have parents that did love each other. For that, he envied Emma way more than he could have ever possibly imagined. He wished they could have given that to Henry, but he had messed up in listening to August and now it was too late. He was engaged to Tamara and he was sure that, even if he wasn't, Emma would never let herself be open to a romantic relationship with him again; not after how deeply he had hurt her. Sure, he had all the best intentions, but it didn't change that she spent the last eleven years thinking he had betrayed her. Surely there was no getting past that...was there?

His thoughts were interrupted when Henry returned to the table and went back to showing him the book. He smiled at his boy, hardly believing that he was real.

"Gramps loves to dance with Grams. Sometimes they do this with no music," Henry mentioned.

"They certainly have a one of a kind romance," Neal agreed.

"It was way different than their movie though," Henry mentioned. Neal chuckled.

"That's actually probably a good thing. I'd say the mouse got it way wrong, wouldn't you?" he asked. Henry nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so," the boy agreed.

"Besides, some of the greatest romances of all time began with robbery or assault, believe it or not," Neal said, as he took a drink of his soda.

"Did you and Mom's begin with that?" Henry asked curiously. Neal nearly spit his drink out, as he realized what he had said and how it applied to him and Emma. Their relationship had begun with her stealing his car. Even if he had technically stole it first. Damn...there were similarities there that he hadn't entertained and he couldn't help but wonder if Emma had.

"Uh...well, let's just say that Emma takes after your Grams and leave it at that, okay?" he asked.

"Okay," Henry chirped and he sighed in relief. He had definitely dodged a bullet with that one. He knew Henry knew they had been stealing things, but he was really hoping to not have to go into too many details about his past yet. He knew he would eventually have to, but he and Emma were going to need something harder than champagne to tell some of those tales. He saw Belle shoot him an amused look and he smiled back kindly.

Belle was a whole other dynamic to all this. The fact that his father had fallen in love was almost lost on him at first. He didn't believe that was possible just two days ago. But it had happened. He knew his father's pull toward power was still astronomically great, but with people around him that loved him like him and Belle, and others around him that considered him a friend, maybe it would be what was needed to anchor his father this time. He had never entertained the fact that his father could have a family and be the Dark One; such a concept seemed so impossible. But he was witnessing it before him and he had to admit that it was amazing.

He knew it wouldn't be without struggles and that he would probably have to tolerate slips from his father, as would Belle. And then there was Tamara. Explaining all this to her would be a daunting feat. He saw it going one of two ways: bad or really bad. Bad would be her laughing in his face or worse being livid that he was thinking she was really that stupid as to believe such things. Then there was really bad, which was mostly entertaining the worst case scenarios and all the movies he had seen where something fictional was discovered to be real. All of it was horrifying and he had no idea how to even begin to explain all this. Fortunately, he had a bit of time. Tamara was in New York and he had some time to think. He looked up, only see Emma smiling, as her parents sat back down with her and tried to ignore the stirrings inside him. He couldn't go there. He was engaged to Tamara and Emma would never trust him with her heart again.

As the evening progressed, their gathering at Granny's ended and they returned to their respective homes. But Snow invited Neal to breakfast at the loft the next morning and he gracious accepted, especially since Henry seemed very excited by that. After checking in with Leroy at the station briefly, the Charming family returned home to the loft, unaware of the sinister eyes on them...

~*~

The tears had stopped coming a while ago, as Regina left her vault and began to wander the town aimlessly. Eventually, she ended up on Main Street and wished she hadn't when she observed her son with his biological family through Granny's window. Seeing Henry so happy without her hurt her deeply. Her nostrils flared and she pursed her lips angrily. They certainly had a lot of nerve to celebrate while she was suffering. She stormed off, intending to return home when she bumped into someone.

"Oh...I'm terribly sorry, Madam Mayor," the man said, as she sidestepped him and straightened her coat.

"Save it...and I'm no longer the Mayor. This damn town and its simpletons saw to that," she spat.

"Yes...they voted for that naive Princess over a true Queen," the man replied. Her eyes narrowed and she turned back to look at him.

"I don't think I've ever seen you before. Who are you?" she questioned. He smirked.

"A messenger," he replied cryptically.

"And what message are you here to divulge?" she questioned. His smirk widened.

"A message detailing how to get your revenge on Persephone," he stated. Regina snorted derisively.

"Do I look like I was born yesterday?" she snapped.

"Persephone is a deity. Not even my magic, hell I'm not even sure the Dark One's magic, is truly a match for her," Regina refuted.

"You're correct, but then we both know there is a very fair little tool you can use to enact revenge on her," he reminded.

"Snow White...but you still haven't told me your name," Regina said. He walked around the corner and she followed him curiously. She watched him change from an ordinary looking citizen to a man in a smart suit, with a gold pin of a lyre on the lapel.

"The Romans called me Mercury, but I prefer Hermes," he stated.

"The Messenger God," she deduced, as he gave a curt nod.

"I'll forgive you for not bowing to me, for I know your grief has probably stifled your manners," he stated.

"Why are you in Storybrooke? I was under the impression that Snow's mother had to hitch a ride with a mermaid to get to this land. It's not an easy world to portal to," Regina replied.

"Oh, it's not, unless you're me. I can go anywhere; I am the messenger God, after all. I can go to the Enchanted Forest, Neverland, the Land Without Magic, the Underworld…I can go anywhere I am sent," he said, trailing off.

"The Underworld…" she uttered.

"Why would Hades send you here? Are you here to drag his wife back there?" she asked hopefully.

"Oh, believe me, I would if I could. Unfortunately, Persephone would easily obliterate me on sight if she knew I was here," he replied.

"Hades sent me here to gain him passage to this land. As you know, he can't leave the Underworld. But if certain conditions are met...it's possible," Hermes said.

"Hades wants to come here?" she asked in disbelief.

"More than anything," Hermes replied.

"I don't understand what that has to do with me," Regina stated.

"If you help me get what I need to make my Lord's trip here possible, he would see you as an ally. You won't have to lift a finger to see to the demise of those heroes and Henry will be yours," Hermes tempted. Regina's breath caught in her throat.

"You'd be truly blameless and there to scoop your little boy up. And he'll cling to you when you are all he has left," Hermes hissed in her ear.

"And what exactly do I have to do for Hades to make this happen?" Regina inquired.

"Simple…" Hermes started to say.

"Hades is forbidden to leave the Underworld, unless true love's kiss were given to him to restart his heart," the Messenger God continued.

"My guess is that's not going to happen, so there must be some other loophole," Regina countered. Hermes smirked.

"How right you are," he agreed.

"You see, if we had the blood of someone who had been both to the land of the living and the world of the dead, we could summon Charon," Hermes explained.

"Charon...he's the ferryman, correct?" Regina asked. Hermes nodded.

"You know your Mythology...or history as we might call it," he confirmed.

"If Charon was summoned to this land with that very special blood...Hades could hitch a ride, so to speak," he added.

"Except the only person that fits that criteria is Persephone. She goes between the world of the living and dead all the time. There is no one else like that," Regina refuted. He smirked deviously.

"Are you sure?" he questioned, as the former Queen thought for a moment and then her eyes widened.

"Snow...it's Snow…" she realized. He nodded.

"Persephone's precious little snowdrop drew her very first breath in the Underworld, before Demeter absconded with her to the Enchanted Forest and dropped her like a stork to King Leopold and Queen Eva," he revealed.

"You want me to get Snow's blood?" Regina asked.

"With my help, of course. I mean, why just take her blood when we can do so much more. Imagine the panic Persephone and her family will feel when she comes up missing and then maybe she wakes up in a horrifying place that will leave a mark on her for all time," he said deviously. Regina smirked at that thought.

"How fitting...and I think I know exactly where she should awaken after we take our sample," the former Queen said. This was perfect...this was exactly what she needed. She would enact her revenge on Persephone through Snow and once Hades was here, she wouldn't have to lift a finger to get Henry back...

~*~

Greg and Tamara approached the town line in the dead of night, in separate cars now. She had insisted once they hit Maine that they rent a second car for Greg. He didn't argue and went along with her plan, as usual. Tamara had killed the headlights several miles back so as not to alert to their presence and he had followed suit.

They had pumped Hook for information earlier at a rest stop and though he wasn't very helpful, he had slipped about there being a patrol guarding the town line. The pirate revealed that anyone affected by the curse would lose their memories if they crossed the town line. Tamara found that very interesting and wanted to keep the element of their surprise. She killed the engine on the car and they got out, trekking further toward it and Greg's mouth was ajar in surprise.

"It's here…" he uttered, as she put her hand on his arm.

"I've been looking for this place my entire life since it happened and now it's here again," he said, a mix of anguish and anger in his voice.

"It must have to do with the curse," Tamara surmised. He looked at her.

"Do you really believe all of that? I mean, I know we've been told it's all real and magic is the root of all evil, but a curse?" he asked skeptically.

"I know what it sounds like, but we both have seen things that can't be explained in this world. I told you about my encounter is Hong Kong with that being calling himself the Dragon," she replied. He nodded.

"I don't care about any curses or magic...I just want to find my father," he said.

"And make that woman pay for what she put you though," Tamara reminded. He smirked. Oh yes, he would never give up on revenge. No longer was he that innocent boy that would have never wanted to do anything to hurt anyone. But then he met Regina and she destroyed his life.

After she had taken his father from him and kept him from finding the town, he had found himself in the foster system. And his talk of seeing a woman holding someone's heart in her hand and using magic had garnered him many appointments with a therapist. He was so insistent with his story that they had almost institutionalized him. That's when he had escaped the system and become a runaway. Subsequently, he had met Tamara soon after and she introduced him to a world of people that not only believed his story, but told him exactly who and what was in that town he and his father had stumbled onto.

It had been a lot, even for a child to believe, but his rage was only fueled by the stories of others like him; others that had their lives destroyed by magic. Lost children and adults alike, who had taken to calling themselves the Home Office. It was a benign name that would never even suggest or hint at their real goal. And that was to expunge the world of all evil. And the root of that evil was magic. This may have technically been the Land Without Magic, but as they quickly explained to him, that name was something of a misnomer. They had discovered people and places in this land where magic had leaked through and was like an infection. But they were the cure. Tamara had killed the old mage in Hong Kong, who swindled good, honest people for all they had for his magical cures. He had been witness to other exorcisms of magic and even participated as well. But this...this was what he had been working toward. This was his demon to slay and the time for vengeance was finally at hand.

"What do we do about the patrol?" Greg asked. They were still far enough away that they had not been spotted by the two men in the van parked near the inside of the line.

"We don't...this is the part of the plan that is going to test if you're really committed to our mission," Tamara replied. His brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She smirked and opened a flask.

"Have a drink," she said.

"Okay…" he drawled, as he took a drink and made a face, as he did not enjoy the sting of straight vodka burning down his throat.

"What the hell does this have to do with our mission?" he asked. She smirked.

"If we wanted to, we could come up with a way to slink into town unnoticed, but I think it will serve us better if we make a big splash of sorts. Or rather...you do," she replied.

"You want them to know about me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes...think about the incredible distraction it will create if you come crashing into their town," she stated. His eyes widened.

"Wait...crashing?" he asked. She smirked.

"So that's why you wanted me to get a separate vehicle," he replied. She nodded.

"Don't worry, as long as you don't barrel too fast into one of these trees, you'll only sustain minor injuries," she said and he looked at her wearily.

"You're awfully nonchalant about my well being. And I suppose the alcohol is to make sure it looks accidental?" he asked. She nodded.

"You know, I could end up in a jail cell for that," he replied. Her smirk widened.

"Oh no...I think Storybrooke's Sheriff will be more than willing to let you off the hook with a warning. They will want you out of Storybrooke as soon as possible," she replied. He smirked.

"And I can play the dimwitted tourist a T and decide to peruse their lovely town," he added. She nodded.

"Then I'll come in when I call Neal and tell him I'm making a surprise trip up to see him. He won't refuse to let me come to town. It would look too suspicious," she finished.

"Inflicting injury upon myself won't be a picnic, but this could work. It's devious as hell too," he said.

"My favorite kind of plan," she said darkly.

"Where will you be in the meantime?" he asked. She shrugged.

"That town we passed a few miles back had a motel. It will do for tonight," she replied.

"What about our cargo?" he asked, as she opened the trunk and they looked down at the Captain, gagged and tied.

"He won't be any trouble for me," she assured, as she cocked her gun. He closed the trunk and they got back into their cars…

~*~

"Walter...WALTER!" Leroy shouted, as he gave the sleepy dwarf a hard shove.

"Huh...what?" he muttered, as he rubbed his eyes.

"You're asleep again…" Leroy grumbled.

"I'm sorry...I'm just so…" he trailed off, as he yawned.

"Tired," he finished. Leroy snorted derisively and popped the top on his thermos. He poured some coffee into the paper cup and handed to his sleepy companion.

"Here," he griped, as he poured himself some.

"Thanks Leroy...you really can be a peach sometimes," Walter replied.

"Just drink it and stay awake, because if you fall asleep on me again, the next time I wake you up, I won't be so nice," he snapped, as his attention was suddenly grabbed by headlights coming toward them.

"Is that…" Walter asked.

"A car...coming toward town," Leroy answered.

"But I thought Emma and others were back already," Walter said.

"They are!" Leroy snapped, as they watched the car swerve.

"He's losing control!" Walter cried, as they watched the car careen off the road and slam into a tree. They jumped out of the van and hurried over to peer inside the driver's side. The horn of the car sounded in a steady stream, as this man's head was slumped against it. They had never seen him before and he was definitely an outsider. That being said he was in need of medical attention too.

"What do we do?" Walter asked.

"Call Charming…" Leroy replied. This was definitely above their pay grade. They needed their leaders to know about this situation immediately...


	58. Walking the Wire

Chapter 58: Walking the Wire

They entered the loft, after a very nice evening at Granny's.

"All right, kid. Shower and then bed," Emma told him, as she ushered him off into the bathroom. Snow smiled and sighed, as she looked forward to decompressing. She felt her husband's arms around her waist and leaned back against him. He kissed her hair and was very much looking forward to sweeping her behind the curtain where their bed was for some much needed alone time. But as his phone rang, he realized their bliss would be interrupted and any time alone would have to wait.

"What is it, Leroy?" he asked, as he answered and then pulled the phone away, as Leroy proceeded to scream in his ear.

"Whoa...calm down and take a breath!" David said into the phone, as he continued to listen to the dwarf talk a mile a minute and his expression slowly become more and more concerned.

"All right Leroy, stay put. We'll be right there," David said, as he hung up the phone.

"What's happened?" Snow asked, as he looked at the three of them.

"There's been an accident at the town line," he stated.

"An accident?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A car crashed into a tree just inside the town line...a car coming from outside Storybrooke," he announced gravely. Emma closed her eyes, as some of the fears she had earlier were suddenly ringing true. Snow swallowed nervously.

"So there's nothing keeping people out anymore," she realized.

"No...just in I guess, unless you're us or you've had your ties to the curse magically removed like you two," Persephone deduced.

"We need to go...Leroy already called an ambulance. The man in the car is alive, but injured and unconscious," David said. Emma nodded.

"I'm coming with you both," Snow said, as she looked to her mother.

"Do you mind watching Henry?" she asked. Persephone smiled.

"Of course not...but please be careful, all of you," she implored. They nodded, as Emma headed out and her parents followed suit.

~*~

Neal stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of pajama pants and a tank top, as he rubbed a towel through his damp hair. His phone began ringing and he answered it, seeing as it was Tamara.

"Hey babe," he answered.

"Hi...I was just getting ready to go to bed when I decided that I need to hear your voice first," she cooed sweetly. He smiled and instantly felt guilty about his earlier musings about Emma. This just confirmed what he already knew. He had moved on with Tamara and things between he and Emma were over.

"Yeah...I miss you," he offered.

"How are things there?" Tamara pried.

"Good actually...really good. I had dinner with my son at the diner. I met Emma's parents and they were great. They didn't try to kill me, even though they'd have reason to," he mentioned.

"Honey...Emma wasn't innocent in your past. Surely they know that," Tamara said sweetly. He had told her about his criminal past and how he had once had a partner in crime. When he told her that he also now had a son, she had asked if Henry's mother was the woman he loved and had done the Bonnie and Clyde act with. So he had explained to her that she was and that in a moment of poor judgment, he left her holding the bag to save himself, carefully omitting key facts. He thought she might react badly to his actions, but surprisingly she didn't blame him. She didn't say it aloud, but she kind of got the feeling that she had the impression that it was Emma that was the bad influence on him or maybe that was what she needed to tell herself.

"Yeah...I think so. They're definitely not what I expected. You know me...it took me forever to propose to you and even then I've always been skeptical about marriage as a whole," he mentioned.

"And now that's changed?" she asked curiously.

"Actually...yes," he admitted.

"Well...do tell," she said with a pleasant note in her tone. He snorted. Admitting that he might be wrong about marriage was something she'd never let him live down.

"I don't know...they weren't like any married couple I'd ever met. Emma said they've been married for almost thirty years and yet they're like newlyweds. But I guess it was more than that. They were just so in sync, you know? And I realized...that man, I really want that," he said.

"Sounds like it's true love," she mentioned.

"Definitely...and it's what I want to strive to have with you...a marriage like that. It wasn't just the love, but the trust and sincerity between them. I realized that I know that I have that with you and that I can't wait to marry you," he admitted.

"Well...I am definitely going to have meet Henry's grandparents for sure," she mentioned.

"I actually did talk to Emma about that. We were thinking about a trip back with me to New York soon, you know, so you can meet Henry," he said.

"Actually...I have a bit of a confession to make and I hope you're not angry," Tamara replied.

"Why would I be angry?" he asked.

"Well...I have a bunch of vacation days built up so I put in for my time and I was going to drive up to Storybrooke and surprise you tomorrow," she confessed. His eyebrows shot up into his hair.

"Tomorrow?" he asked, trying not to sound panicked.

"Yeah...I thought a romantic getaway in Maine with my fiance sounded like a great vacation," she said. He sighed.

"Are you mad?" she asked and he could hear the wince in her voice.

"Of course not...I just need to run this by Emma. I have to tell you, she got really weirded out when I told her about you getting me a family law attorney," he replied.

"Oh...well please tell her that I didn't mean to scare her. I just want you to get your fair share of rights when it comes to Henry," she said.

"I know and I will. Emma and I are working it out. Her parents are being great too and I was in the same room as my Dad tonight without trying to escape," he replied.

"So you've worked things out with him too?" she asked with a hopeful note in her voice.

"Not entirely, but I think we might actually be able to get there. It's kind of weird, but in a good way, but Emma's parents are actually really good friends with my Dad and his girlfriend. Which is even weirder," he explained.

"They sound like one big happy family," she said and if he noticed the hint of jealousy in her voice, he didn't show it, though there was now an awkward silence between them.

"So...what time do you think you might be here?" he asked.

"I actually have an early flight to Portland and then I'll have a rental waiting for me. I should be rolling in around mid morning, so I'll call you when I hit the city limits," she said. He chuckled.

"Try town limits, sweetie. Storybrooke is not very big...there's no Starbucks or even fast food joint from what I've seen," he warned.

"Just a quaint small town diner, I'm guessing?" she asked.

"Yeah...the food is good though, so you won't starve," he joked.

"I can't wait...I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

"Okay...goodnight," he said, as they hung up and he immediately dialed Emma. She was going kill him when she found out that his fiance was taking it upon herself to drive to Storybrooke, but it would be worse if she found out when Tamara got there tomorrow.

"Hey...can I call you back? I've kind of got a serious situation going on here," Emma answered.

"Uh sure...is everything okay?" he asked.

"I hope so...it's kind of a police matter," she replied.

"That's fine. I need to talk to you about something, but it can wait. Is breakfast still on for morning?" he asked.

"Yeah...it should be. Hopefully this is nothing," she replied.

"Okay...see you in the morning," Neal said, as they hung up. Maybe this was better. He could tell Emma about Tamara's visit while in the presence of their son and her parents. She wouldn't kill him in front of them...right?

~*~

Jefferson peered out at the town through his telescope. While he had his daughter back and his life was better now that it had ever been, complete with family and friends, he still felt the need to keep an eye on the town. After all, now that he had things like family and friends, he felt the overwhelming need to protect them. And not just Grace, which was very new for him. After so long of looking out only for himself and Grace, he almost found it odd in caring about other people at all. But his time without Grace and subsequently, his sometimes unlikely and odd friendship with Prince Charming and the Dark One had made him look at the world very differently.

Protecting your own and looking out for those in your circle was a trait both David and Gold shared, though Charming was more likely to see to the protection of others out of the goodness of his heart, which was why the occupation of Sheriff's Deputy was perfect for him. As for Gold, his approach to protecting those he cared for and loved always had a more selfish note, but had often seen the hero and anti-hero not only team up, but develop an amiable relationship. Of course this was only possible, because they both had a good amount of respect for each other. Jefferson had been allowed into this circle and he was still getting used to such acceptance at times.

He was sure it was more toleration on Gold's part, though he had always done good work for him in the past. But with David, it was real friendship. The Prince was undoubtedly a good man; the kind that Jefferson would have once thought would never tolerate him, let alone befriend him. As he got to know David and watched him with Emma, he found himself envious. He had a wonderful relationship with a daughter that obviously adored him and it was definitely reciprocated. And so David became the kind of father that Jefferson aspired to be, despite failings in the past. It was David's encouragement that helped him find the courage he needed to reunite with his daughter and thanks to Grace's sweet, forgiving nature, she never once blamed him for leaving her, understanding that it was never intentional and that he had made mistakes. So the fact that he had the urgency to still keep watch over their town to protect their families should have come as no surprise to him. And what he saw tonight, he didn't like at one bit.

"Amy…" he called, knowing she would be just finishing tucking Grace in.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, poking her head into the room.

"I hope not...but it looks like there might be some trouble. Can you stay here with Grace? I think I need to go see David," he said. She nodded.

"Of course...what's happened? What do you see?" she asked. He sighed.

"Well...first I saw Regina talking to someone suspicious earlier, but I think that might have to wait. There's something else...something bigger," he said in a worried tone, as he stepped away from the telescope and let her see for herself. She pulled away.

"An accident at the town line?" she asked. He nodded.

"Except I saw it happen," he replied.

"The car that crashed came from outside Storybrooke," he revealed. Her eyes widened and she nodded, understanding exactly why he needed to go.

"Yeah...you should go," she urged and he headed out. He was sure David and Emma knew by now, but he still felt the need to join his friends, likely at the hospital, if for no other reason than to offer support, not to mention Regina's little meeting with the mysterious man earlier was definitely something noteworthy of mentioning.

~*~

The scene at the town line was one of chaos, as the lights of the ambulance flashed. They arrived with the cruiser's lights flashing as well and the three of them got out to inspect the scene. The paramedics had extracted the injured man from the car and had him on the stretcher. They watched them perform a quick vital check.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Emma asked.

"He's got a concussion and we think some internal bleeding. If he gets right into surgery though, he has a good chance," the paramedic responded.

"Okay...get going and call the hospital on the way. Have them page Whale and make sure he's ready," Emma ordered, as they loaded him into the ambulance, while she examined the car and her father knelt down, trying to find any skid marks.

"There's no skid marks, like this guy didn't even try to break," David reported, as he joined Emma at the car with Snow's hand in his.

"That would be really odd, if not for this," Emma replied, as she picked up an open bottle from the passenger seat with a glove.

"Drunk driver…" David said bitterly and Snow squeezed his hand. She knew drinking was a touchy subject with her husband. Sure, he was no stranger to enjoying a social drink and they had gotten tipsy together plenty of times. But David never drank regularly or alone for that matter. He had always vowed that he would never be like his father and let drinking hurt his family or take him from them.

"Looks like it...that might be in our favor though," Emma said.

"How so?" Snow asked.

"Well...he likely won't remember anything and because I could easily have reason to charge him with all kinds of things, I can pressure him to leave town quickly instead, once he's healed," Emma replied. David nodded.

"Yeah...leave town or go to jail. I'm sure he won't be able to leave here fast enough," he agreed. She nodded.

"We should probably get to the hospital," she said. He nodded.

"I'll have Leroy and Happy process the rest of the scene and tape it off," David said, as he let go of Snow's hand, kissed her cheek, and then went to give instructions to Leroy. Snow sighed.

"You okay?" Emma asked. She nodded.

"Just glad that this is probably just a freak accident," Snow replied. Emma snorted.

"Yeah and not some nosy tourist or worse," she agreed. With the dwarves knowing what to do, David rejoined them and they got back into the cruiser, before driving back into town with the hospital being their intended destination.

~*~

"Paging Dr. Whale…" the nurse said over the intercom. Whale heard it, as he continued to drink from his flask. Since his experience with reviving Daniel, he had slowly slipped into a depression. The procedure had worked, but similarly to the way it had when he attempted it on his brother back in his land. Even if ever did find a way back to his world, the likelihood that Gerhardt could be brought back as anything other than a monster was not truly possible. It was a harsh reality for him to accept. He was a doctor and yet even his gifted hands could not save him.

"Paging Dr. Whale…" the nurse called over the intercom again, as he took another swig from his flask. He supposed he should answer the page, but he couldn't find it in himself to move. Unfortunately for him, Red's wolf nose wouldn't keep him hidden.

"Hey...we've been looking for you," she said.

"So I hear," he deadpanned.

"There was a situation at the town line. There's a man that needs surgery or he's going to die," Red informed him.

"Who is it?" he asked curiously.

"I...I don't know. David said he came from...outside town," she replied. Her perked up at that with intrigue. That was definitely different and maybe a little exciting.

"All right...take me to the patient," he said, as he stumbled back inside. Red watched him go wearily. When David found out that their only surgeon was drunk off his ass, he was going to flip out.

~*~

Snow and David followed Emma into the hospital, hand in hand. The lobby was fairly vacant, though they were surprised to see Gold, Belle, and Jefferson there.

"Hi...I didn't expect to see you two here," Snow mentioned.

"Leroy called us and told us what happened," she said, as she looked around.

"Is it true that the car that crashed came from outside town?" she asked. Snow nodded.

"Great...I wonder how many other people Leroy has blabbed to," David said irritably. Snow winced, as she saw several people now curiously milling about the lobby.

"Probably more than we hoped," she mentioned.

"That's it...I'm gonna muzzle him," David said.

"David…" Snow chided.

"I don't know, muzzling him sounds pretty good," Emma agreed. Snow gave her a look.

"I know Leroy has a big mouth, but I don't think muzzling him is the answer," she reasoned.

"I beg to differ, but he's lucky, because I don't happen to have a muzzle," David said. Gold was silent still and poofed a muzzle into existence, before handing it to the prince. He smirked.

"Thanks...this will work," he said, as Snow gave him a stern look.

"No…" she chided. He frowned, though it looked more like a pout to Snow and she had to bite back a smile.

"Fine…" he grumbled, as he looked to Jefferson.

"I suppose he blabbed to you too," David said.

"Actually no...I sort of saw it happen through my telescope," Jefferson admitted.

"You're still using that thing?" Emma asked.

"Yes, but not in a creepy way," he replied.

"I'm just...you know looking out for the town...for us," he said. David smirked.

"And we appreciate that," he said. Jefferson was about to tell him what else he had seen, but it would have to wait, as Whale walked toward them.

"Whoa...get a whiff of him," Jefferson commented.

"Drunk…" David hissed.

"Not drunk...just buzzed," he corrected.

"There's a man being prepped for surgery and you've been hitting the sauce? He could die!" David snapped, as Snow put her hand on his arm to calm him.

"Well...maybe that wouldn't exactly be the worst thing," Whale replied Snow's mouth dropped open.

"How can you say that?" she squeaked.

"Because I'm not a naive little Princess that goes around planting snowdrops and thinking Evil Queens can be redeemed," he shot back. David lunged toward him, but was held back by Snow and Jefferson.

"That's it...I'm gonna rip your head off, Whale!" the prince growled.

"No you won't...the princess has you on a short leash," he goaded.

"Oh, that has to be the booze talking, because it's making you say some really stupid things. I've seen this guy fight and he'll destroy you...easily," Jefferson warned. Whale still seemed un-bothered by it all.

"Look...I'll operate if that's really what you want me to do, but it seems to me that saving an outsider could come back to bite us all," Whale reasoned.

"He's right...we've all see the movies," Leroy agreed, as he arrived.

"Yeah...I have no desire to end up in a lab somewhere or as a circus attraction," Happy commented.

"Guys...calm down, that's not going to happen. The guy was drunk. We save him, keep him isolated while he recovers and then I tell him that I'll let him off easy if he agrees to leave town. With jail time hanging over his head, he'll be eager to oblige," Emma reasoned.

"Since when is anything ever that simple for us?" Leroy questioned.

"The dwarf does have a valid point," Rumple commented.

"Rumple…" Belle chided.

"She's right...this is a human being we're talking about. Suppose we do the unthinkable and let him die. Do you really think it ends there?" Snow asked, as they were all silent.

"This man could have a wife or partner...he could have children or people that care about him. Do I have to tell you that his death could draw all the wrong people into town?" she questioned.

"She's right...a missing person's case could draw authorities...even FBI. Trust me, we don't want to go there," Emma added.

"Get some coffee quickly and then scrub up, Doctor," David ordered. He put his hands up and walked away, intending to follow orders.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing," Leroy grumbled. Snow sighed and turned in his arms, as he hugged her close.

"I guess we just wait now," David said to her, as he kissed her hair. She hummed in response.

"Yeah...the coffee at the nurse's station is really bad and I know you and Em have all kinds of paperwork to do. Let me run down to the cafeteria and get us some real coffee," she offered. He smiled and pecked her on the lips.

"That'd be great," he agreed. She smiled.

"I'll be back soon," she replied, as she kissed him again and headed for the elevator, as David stayed to deal with this situation.

"Here are the patient's personal effects, Your Highness," the desk nurse addressed him and handed him the clear plastic bag.

"Thank you," he replied, as he took out the wallet.

"ID?" Emma asked. He nodded.

"Greg Mendell. It's a Pennsylvania driver's license," he said, showing it to her.

"He's a ways from home…" she mentioned, as she took out the phone.

"Do you think that's suspicious?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Maybe...but then again he could just be a tourist too or traveling on business. If he was drunk, he could have easily veered off course," she replied.

"Is that what your gut is telling you?" he asked. She sighed.

"No...my gut is telling me to get him the hell out of this town as soon as he's well enough," she replied. He nodded and put his arm around her, as he kissed her hair.

"Everything's going to be fine...you think you can crack into his phone with that thing you do?" he asked. She smiled, still loving her father's general bewilderment when it came to most technology.

"You mean this?" she asked, as she held up a USB device that was attached to her keys and inserted it into the phone. She "did her thing" as he always called it and bypassed the password.

"We're in," she said, as she looked through his photos, which was some scenery and a lot of pictures of food.

"Well...he likes to take pictures of his food," she commented.

"It kind of seems like he's on vacation," David surmised.

"Maybe…" she said, as the phone started ringing and the name on the caller ID simply said "her".

"Her…" he said.

"Could be a girlfriend or wife…" Emma guessed.

"Do we answer it?" he asked.

"And say what? If this is a girlfriend or wife and we tell her that Greg was in an accident, then we have another stranger coming to town," she replied. He nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" he agreed.

"For now, we just wait and hope we can get him to leave when he's well enough," she replied, as she looked at him and then watched him look over toward the elevator.

"Dad?" she questioned and started to get worried when he put a hand to his heart.

"Dad…" she said, a note of panic in her voice.

"Something's wrong…" he uttered.

"Are you in pain?" Emma asked, but he shook his head.

"Not me...something's wrong with your mother. She's in trouble!" he cried, as his blue eyes were wide with fear and he took off running for the elevator. Emma followed him frantically, as he hit the button, but found it unresponsive.

"Why isn't this working?!" he cried, as he slammed his fist on the controls.

"Dad...calm down. Let's take the stairs!" Emma called, as she tugged him along toward the stairwell.

~*~

Snow hummed that familiar tune she always did softly, as she waited for the elevator to take her down to the first floor where the cafeteria was. It had been a long night and they were definitely going to need good coffee to get through it. She was a little worried about the presence of this stranger, but confident that Emma could convince him that it was in his best interest to leave sooner rather than later when he was well enough. After all, she would be well within her right as Sheriff to charge him with several crimes and send him out of Storybrooke anyway. If he really was just a tourist or passerby, she was sure he would take the good deal her daughter was prepared to offer. She smiled when she thought about her husband and daughter as the town's law enforcement. Protecting people was hardwired into her husband and their daughter was so much like him that it made her heart swell with pride and love. Charming, despite being raised as a shepherd, had become a natural Knight in their land and she knew that if they had raised Emma in their land, she would have followed in her father's footsteps. Law enforcement was this world's version of that, sort of and so it came as no surprise to her that it was the perfect profession for both of them.

As the numbers ticked down, the elevator suddenly came to a halt. She thought at first it was because someone else was going to get on, but soon realized that it was between floors. She pressed the button for her floor a couple more times, but nothing happened. Sensing that something wasn't quite right, she was about to press the emergency button when the elevator plummeted toward the ground floor. She screamed and fell to the floor of the elevator and feared for her life once the elevator reached the bottom floor at the speed. But she noticed it started to slow slightly and she stood up, as it came to a halt again. The door dinged and opened, as she found herself in the basement hospital ward. She peered out and noticed empty, stark white hallways. She didn't panic, but instead hurried through the halls, hoping to find the exit. But as she rounded the first corner, she bumped into a man.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry…" he said.

"That's okay...can you just point me toward the exit? I need to get back to the first floor," Snow said, with an edge of frantic in her voice.

"Oh, I don't think you're going anywhere, Princess," he said dangerously. Snow looked up at him and though she didn't recognize him, she was sensing something unmistakably sinister from him. She kneed him in the groin and tore away from him, but suddenly found herself frozen in place. The man groaned in pain and stumbled toward her, as Regina appeared before her as well.

"Definitely the daughter of Persephone," Hermes growled.

"Regina…" Snow uttered.

"Why?" she asked tearfully.

"Why?!" Regina growled.

"You have the nerve to ask me why after what your mother did to mine?" she hissed.

"She did it to protect us...even you…" Snow cried, as she struggled to move.

"No...she did it to protect her precious Snow White...it's always about you," Regina countered, as she caressed Snow's fair face, while she struggled to move.

"And the only way to make her pay for what she did is through you," the former Queen added. Snow's eyes flicked to the man beside her.

"Yes...I'm sure you are wondering about my part in this. I am Hermes and I have been sent by Hades for a very specific purpose, Princess," he goaded, as he grabbed her arm.

"Wait…" Regina called, halting him. There was a flash of hope in Snow's eyes at that.

"What do you mean?" Hermes questioned.

"Not here...if I know her husband, he's already felt that something is off and we probably only have minutes before he's tearing this hospital apart," Regina warned.

"How would he know?" Hermes questioned. The former Queen rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Because true love...I don't know how to explain it, but when she bit into my poison apple, he somehow felt it all the way back at my palace. And even if magic does work differently here, he may still get impressions if she's in mortal danger. Let's not take that chance," Regina replied.

"I guess we can relocate to do what needs to be done," he agreed. Snow's eyes were wide with fear.

"Charming!" she called out, as they disappeared in a puff of magical smoke.


	59. Bad Blood

Chapter 59: Bad Blood

Persephone smiled, as she checked on her sleeping grandson and then went back downstairs. She kept checking her phone, waiting for an update of what was going on and was thankful when it rang. The caller ID showed that it was David and she answered.

"David…" she answered.

"Snow's missing…" were the first words out of his mouth and she frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"We were handling this situation and Snow went down to the cafeteria to get us coffee. And then I got this terrible feeling...I can't find her anywhere," he replied frantically. Panic crept up inside her as well.

"All right, as soon as I get someone to come watch Henry, I'll be right there," Persephone said, as she hung up the phone. She didn't have Neal's number and decided Henry would be fine for just a few minutes, so she poofed herself to the Inn and knocked on his door frantically. She heard stumbling around, as he answered it.

"What the hell…" he growled and then he saw it was her. His eyes widened and the rest of his cursing died on his lips.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but Snow is missing. I need you to come back to the loft with me to watch Henry," she stated. He nodded and quickly put his clothes on.

"What do you mean missing?" Neal asked tiredly, as they appeared in Snow's loft.

"David and Emma were dealing with the situation at the hospital. Snow went to get them coffee and now she's missing," Persephone responded, as she grabbed one of Snow's scarves and then poofed a large case onto the table.

"What is that?" Neal asked curiously.

"My store of potions and concoctions," she replied.

"I should have known…" Neal said.

"I know you're not a fan of magic and that's understandable. But a locator potion may be the only way to find my daughter quickly," she replied.

"You do know it's probably why Snow went missing too, right?" he questioned. She stopped for a moment and then looked at him.

"Sorry...that was out of line," he apologized.

"No...you're right. In many ways, my presence in Snow's life might only increase the danger to her. But I assure you that without me, she would also be in danger as well," Persephone said, as she got the potion.

"Thank you for watching Henry," she said. He nodded.

"Of course...I just hope you find her. Emma and David are probably going crazy," he mentioned. She nodded and disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke. They weren't the only ones.

~*~

Snow screamed, as they appeared in a dark cavern and she instantly recognized her surroundings. They were beneath the library. Regina used a fireball to give them light, as Snow kneed Hermes between his legs. Even a God was not impervious to this attack and she tore away from him, as she began to run through the cavern. But she suddenly felt her ankles become tied together, thanks to magic and tripped, falling to the ground.

"Regina please...you don't want to do this," Snow cried, as her wrists were then magically bound too. Snow looked at them fearfully, as Hermes dragged her back to the mouth of the cavern.

"Get it over with already," Regina said. Snow's breathing came in ragged gasps and she cried out, as he brandished a knife. He smirked.

"You really think I'm going to kill you, don't you Princess?" he hissed, as he let the cold blade touch the sensitive skin on her neck. She swallowed thickly.

"You aren't?" she squeaked, as she looked to Regina.

"No...there's someone else that wants that honor, as much as both of us would like to," Hermes responded.

"And if I did kill you...I wouldn't be choosing a knife to do it," Regina added, as a fireball appeared in her palm.

"Then what do you want with me?" she questioned, but then she cried out, as he used the blade to slice her palm. She whimpered and struggled, as he let her blood drip into a small vial.

"What are you doing?" Snow questioned.

"Your blood...it will allow Hades passage into this realm," Hermes revealed. Her eyes widened.

"Hades…" she uttered and then looked at her step-mother.

"Why would you help bring Hades here? How could you? Think of Henry," Snow admonished.

"I am thinking of my son, unlike you," Regina hissed.

"Because of your mother, one way or another, Hades is going to find a way here. Her presence here in this town will doom everyone, so I'm doing what I have to in order to protect Henry," she reasoned.

"You really think Hades will see you as some kind of ally if you help him?" Snow questioned. She smirked.

"Oh, I'm under no delusions about how dangerous your step-father is," she mentioned, enjoying twisting that particular knife.

"But yes...in desperate times like these, alliances must be made and let's keep in mind again that none of this would be necessary without your mother's presence here," Regina reminded.

"Fine...you have my blood. Now let me go," Snow demanded. Regina smirked and gently caressed her cheek.

"Oh no...no you don't get off that easily, dear. My mother is dead, because of you," Regina reminded.

"Your mother was evil…" Snow spat and then choked, as Regina wrapped a hand around her neck.

"No...you're the evil one. You told her about Daniel...you're the reason he's dead. You're the reason Persephone killed my mother!" Regina shouted, as tears gathered in her eyes.

"I never meant to hurt you...she preyed on me. I was just a little girl...I'm sorry," Snow pleaded.

"I don't care...you need to pay and now you will with what's coming," Regina said.

"And once Hades has swept away all my enemies for me...then Henry will be mine again. And he'll love me again, because I'll be all he has," Regina said tearfully. Snow shook her head.

"It doesn't have to be this way. If you do the right thing, it will show Henry that you really are trying to change. I know the woman you used to be...the one that saved my life. I know she's still in there. We can be a family again," Snow pleaded.

"Oh, your naivete isn't at all endearing anymore, dear. In fact, it's pathetic. We've had this conversation before and nothing has changed. My biggest regret is still that I wasn't able to kill you. But soon that will be rectified. Perhaps not by my hand...but justice will be done," Regina said, as she waved her hand and the dusty lid of her casket was lifted. Snow's eyes widened, as Hermes grabbed her arm and started to force her into the casket.

"No...please don't do this," Snow begged, as he made her lay down in it and she screamed, as he sealed the dusty coffin lid. Snow sobbed almost uncontrollably and pounded on the coffin lid. It was like being buried alive and like something out of a nightmare.

"There...back where she belongs. In her glass coffin, only she's awake this time to experience the horror," Hermes said deviously.

"Unfortunately, it probably won't take her Prince long to find her. It never does," Regina replied bitterly.

"Well...then let's make him work for it a bit," Hermes suggested, as his staff, the Caduceus, appeared in his hand. He jammed the staff into the ground before the coffin and it glowed, as it sent his summons to the intended creatures. Regina jumped, as she heard a screeching sound.

"What was that?" she questioned.

"I have summoned the Furies to help guard her. He'll find her, but he'll have to go through them first," Hermes said, as three frightening creatures emerged seemingly from beneath the ground and Regina took a step back. The dark, wraith-like billowy figures had snakes for hair and blood dripped from their eyes. In addition, they had bat like wings and their screeches were bone-chilling.

"She is my prisoner...guard her well," Hermes ordered, as he gestured to Snow in the coffin.

"Let's go...My Lord has been waiting long enough to enact his vengeance," Hermes said and as they disappeared, Regina heard Snow's scream and tried to ignore the spark of regret inside her blackened heart.

~*~

Jefferson convened back in the lobby with the others and he instantly felt badly for his friends, for David and Emma both looked panicked.

"Any luck?" Emma asked. He shook his head.

"I don't think she's here," he mentioned regrettably, as Persephone appeared.

"Neal is watching Henry and I have one of Snow's scarves," Persephone said, as Gold offered a locator potion. She took it from him.

"I brought one too, but thank you," she said, accepting his gift and poured it over the scarf. It floated before them, just as Whale came into the lobby.

"He made it," Whale announced, as they all acted like they didn't hear him.

"Hello...the stranger is alive, thanks to my gifted hands. Isn't that what you wanted?" he asked irritably.

"Uh yeah...there's just more going on now. Thanks," Emma offered.

"Is he awake?" she asked.

"Yes...you can talk to him if you need to," Whale replied, as he left.

"Emma…" David started to say.

"Dad...you can't be seriously asking me to stay behind on this one," she said.

"I don't want to, but we also need to make sure our guest knows that he should be on his way so to speak as soon as possible. And it only makes sense for the Sheriff or Deputy to talk to him. I can text you our location when you're done," he said. She nodded, knowing he was right, and she hugged him tightly.

"I'll find her...I promise," he said. She nodded and walked back toward the patient's recovery room.

"Rumple and I will go to the loft and make sure everything is okay with Henry. He'll be upset when Neal tells him, I'm sure," Belle offered. David nodded gratefully.

"Especially if Regina is behind this," Gold added bitterly.

"Let's keep that little detail under wraps until we know for sure," David requested and Gold agreed with a curt nod. With that, David and Persephone exited the hospital, as they followed the scarf.

"You up for one more?" Jefferson asked, as he tagged along.

"We are if you are," David answered, as the Hatter joined them.

~*~

Tamara packed her things and spared a glance at her prisoner, who she had handcuffed to the bed in the room.

"You know, I've been tied to a few beds before, but this is definitely not in a good way," Hook commented.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we'll be moving along now. It's time to go to Storybrooke," she replied.

"Yes...and what are your plans when you get there? You must realize that there is magic there. Your pistol may not get you as far there as it does out in this world," he warned. She smirked.

"Oh, but I'm Neal's fiance. They'll have no reason to suspect me of any malfeasance...until it's much too late," Tamara replied.

"And what do you plan to do with me, lass? I have no stakes in your plot, whatever that may be," Hook reminded. She smirked.

"Are you sure?" she questioned, as she put her bag by the door.

"You see...my goal and the goal of my associate is to destroy magic," she stated. He looked bewildered by that.

"Destroy magic?" he questioned. She nodded.

"And how pray tell do you plan to do that? I've been around magic in my considerably long life and I've never encountered such a way to do so. That is why I wanted to come to this land, for the absence of magic is the only way to skin my crocodile," he responded.

"I may not know exactly how to destroy magic completely yet, but my superiors do. I also have ways of nullifying magical attacks. They don't seem to hold up well to my world's technology," she mentioned, as she held a black device in her hand and pressed the trigger, showing him the electric charge in her high powered taser.

"And what will your fiance think when he finds out the real reason you're coming to town?" Hook questioned.

"Neal is a good man...but will be unfortunately collateral damage," Tamara replied. He frowned and she laughed.

"You don't think I actually love him, do you?" she questioned.

"You're engaged...I assumed. Silly me, I suppose," he replied bitterly.

"Don't worry...I'm not going to kill him, as long as he doesn't get in my way. You should be happy though. An alliance with me can get you exactly what you want," she said, as she looked at him.

"Your Crocodile," she tempted.

"I've hunted this beast for longer than you've been alive...longer than your great grandparents were alive. The Dark One can only be killed in a place with magic with one object," Hook warned.

"Yes...the dagger," she replied. He looked surprised that she knew that.

"I told you that my superiors know everything about that little town and its inhabitants," she reminded.

"Yes...you keep mentioning your superiors, but you offer no names," he leered.

"We just call them the Home Office and their goal is the same of ours. That is to remove magic from this world. It's unnatural...it's a disease," she spat.

"Dark magic is...I agree. But there is light magic. I have seen light magic do good in my time as well, albeit much less often," he challenged. She smirked.

"All magic is evil...even the supposed true love kind. There is always a price, even for true love, and it is always paid in blood," she said. He smirked.

"I sense there is a story behind that," he mentioned.

"No story...I just hate magic," she countered. He smirked.

"Right…" he snorted derisively.

"Cheer up Captain...stick with me and I can guarantee that you can skin that Croc," she tempted.

"You propose an interesting proposition, lass. But I've been around long enough to know that you'll want something from me if you manage the task of incapacitating the Dark One. Captain Hook is no fool," he hissed. She smirked.

"You're right...how are you at creating distractions and being a general nuisance?" she asked. He smirked.

"Oh...I would say I excel quite nicely at it. Who do you want distracted?" he questioned.

"Emma Swan and her family, of course. Distractions will be needed if we're going to be able to do what we want," she responded. He smirked.

"Aye...I can provide some distractions, indeed. But I warn you, love...I am not a person you want to double cross," he warned.

"Neither am I, Captain...but I assure you that an alliance between us will give us both what we want," she assured.

"Then I believe we have an accord," Hook agreed.

~*~

Emma took a deep breath and entered with Greg Mendell's personal effects.

"The nurse was just in here," he commented.

"Not nurse...Sheriff Swan," she said with a slight edge in her voice.

"Oh…" he uttered.

"Here's your personal effects back. How are you feeling, Mr. Mendell?" she asked.

"Pretty good, considering. They told me it was touch and go there for a while," he replied. She nodded.

"Uh...did I hit someone in the accident? Is that why you're here?" he asked nervously.

"No...you were the only injured party," she replied and he sighed in relief.

"However...your tox screen came back and you had alcohol in your system. Not enough to be legally drunk, but you were definitely driving under the influence. Want to tell me about that?" she asked. He looked down shamefully.

"Yeah...so I'm kind of on a trip. My girlfriend and I are taking a break. We had another fight on the phone and I had a drink or two with dinner. I knew it was a mistake, but I figured I'd be okay driving up to Portland. I was wrong," he replied. Emma gazed at him with scrutiny. She wanted to believe him...she really wanted to believe him. But he was not passing her inner lie detector. Part of her was so distracted with everything else going on that she might have missed it, but her desire to protect her son and her parents overruled her worry about everything else. This guy was definitely not being completely truthful. The problem was that she didn't know exactly what he was lying about.

"Am I under arrest?" he asked bluntly. She gave him a steely stare.

"I'd be well within my right to charge you with a DUI..but I'm going to let you off with a warning," she replied. He sighed in relief.

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

"Drinking and driving isn't a good idea, but this is your lucky day. Rest up, Mr. Mendell and you can be on your way to Portland," she replied sternly, as she turned and left the room. Once she was gone, Greg smirked deviously.

"Yeah...you're not getting rid of me that easily. Not until this town is burning…" he hissed beneath his breath.

~*~

The scarf floated just before the doors to the library and it should have come as no surprise to them. As they went inside, the scarf slowly floated toward the elevator and then hovered there.

"That's a bit predictable, isn't it?" Jefferson questioned.

"Unless there's a fight waiting for us down there," David replied. Persephone nodded.

"We need someone to operate the elevator," she said to the Hatter. Jefferson nodded. Clearly, if there was a fight down there, he would only be in the way. But he could do this and it would help.

"Whatever you need," he agreed, as they boarded the elevator. Jefferson operated the hand crank and slowly lowered them into the cavern. Persephone watched him clench his fist and put her hand on his arm.

"She's down here and we'll save her," she assured her.

"I know...but whoever took her had her for a while," he said, as he clenched his teeth.

"If they've hurt her…" he growled.

"Then they will pay, but Snow will be okay, we will see to that," Persephone responded, as the elevator docked at the bottom and they opened the door.

As they entered the dark cavern, they heard a scream and David took off in a sprint.

"Snow!" he called frantically, as he rushed headlong into the blackness.

"David wait!" Persephone cried, as she heard an inhuman screeching echo through the cavern. She ran to catch up with him and raised her hands, creating a couple of standing torches, filling the cavern with some light. She saw her son-in-law swipe his sword at the three creatures that circled about menacingly.

"Furies…" she uttered.

"What?" he questioned.

"Furies...minions of my husband's from the Underworld," Persephone clarified, as it was then that she saw the large Caduceus staff planted in the ground and her blood ran cold.

"That staff...I know who did this…" she uttered, as magic erupted from her fingertips and she battled the furies with him. He glanced at her, as he swiped at the creature.

"Who?" he asked.

"That staff belongs to none other than Hermes...he's behind this," she replied, as they battled the furies.

"Why would Hermes want to hurt Snow?" he asked, as he ducked to evade the sharp claws of the fury.

"To hurt me...but it's much worse than that, I fear," she lamented.

"We'll deal with it, whatever it is. First, we have to kill these things and since I'm guessing they're not actually alive, my sword is probably not going to cut it," he said.

"No...only fire can kill them," she said. With that, Charming grabbed one of the torches she had created and began to duel with the angry one that seemed intent on trying to sink its fangs into him. It screeched angrily at him and swiped it's claws, catching his shirt and tearing it open. He hissed, as he noticed the lacerations on his skin and the blood drawn. He growled and thrust the flame part of the torch into the creature's eyes. It screamed and the echo shuddered through the entire cave. He kept pressing it into the creature, until the fire began to eat away at the essence of the fury, until it burned up completely.

Persephone dodged the angry clawing and her magic morphed from lavender energy into fire. It wasn't often that she strayed from her organic type magic to elemental power, but she would do anything for her little Snow without hesitation. She engulfed the second fury with twin fireballs and it wailed in agony as it was destroyed. David batted the last one away from the coffin where his terrified wife was trapped. Persephone hit it with a fireball to draw it away, as David used his sword to pry the sealed glass lid off.

"Charming…" Snow sobbed, as he cut her bonds and then lifted her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, as he kissed her hair and rubbed a soothing hand on her back. She looked up just in time to see Hermes' staff glow behind them and she cried out, as the snakes on it came alive. They grew gigantic and towered above them. David put her on her feet, but continued to hold her close, as they stared up at the new problem before them. Persephone destroyed the last fury and fired a magical attack at one of the snakes. It hissed angrily and turned its head to her, before snapping its powerful jaws at her. She dodged and saw that her attack had no effect.

"It's impervious to magic...damn Hermes," she cursed, as she willed a sword into her hand and a bow and quiver appeared for Snow.

"Guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way," David said, as he poised his sword and charged at one of the snakes, while Snow fired an arrow at the other. It screeched angrily at her, as the arrow struck it in the neck. Persephone grabbed her arm and they dodged the snake's snapping jaws. Meanwhile, David had climbed up onto one of the rocky outcroppings and prepared to slay one of them. But he knew it had to be just right.

"Distract it!" he called. Persephone created a fireball and it hissed angrily, as it focused on her, while David jumped and landed on the snake's giant head. He roared and snapped its jaws, but had no time to do anything, as David drove his sword into its brain, dropping it dead to the ground instantly. It was a bloody mess that made all their stomachs churn in disgust. The other one hissed angrily and slithered toward David, but Snow was not having it.

"Get away from my husband!" she called, as she fired an arrow into its neck. It turned its attention to her again, which was exactly what she wanted and she fired an arrow directly into its eye. It made a terrible shrieking noise, which died promptly, as Persephone swiped her sword through its neck, decapitating it in another sickening mess. They all breathed in relief and he rushed to Snow, scooping her into his arms.

"Charming…" she cried, as their lips met in a series of continual, passionate kisses.

"Oh Snow…" he breathed, as he held her close and continued kissing her for a few moments. Persephone smiled gently at them, as she stood quietly by.

"Did he hurt you?" David asked, as he cupped her face in his hands. She shook her head.

"No...but they took blood," Snow said, as she looked at her mother and showed them her hand.

"They? Then Regina is involved in this?" he growled. Snow nodded sadly.

"She's just angry…" Snow said, as she noticed her mother looked very pale.

"Why would he take Snow's blood?" David asked, as he looked to her. Snow looked at her tearfully.

"He's using my blood to bring Hades here," she told him. His brow furrowed.

"I don't understand...how would your blood bring Hades here?" David asked.

"Because the only way for Hades to come to this realm is if you summon Charon to bring him. And the only way to do that is with the blood of someone who has both been to the land of the living and the world of the dead," Persephone replied.

"But that would be your blood…" he said, as he trailed off and thought about it for a moment.

"And Snow's because she was born there," he finished with a sigh. Snow looked at them tearfully.

"Hades is coming…" she said fearfully. Persephone closed the distance between them and took their hands.

"He may be, but I will never let him hurt this family," she insisted, trying to push down her panic.

"I need to get to the lake," she said, as she started toward the elevator.

"We're coming with you," Snow said, as they followed.

"Absolutely not…" Persephone protested.

"That was a statement, not a request. I'm not letting you face him alone," Snow said. Persephone squeezed her hands and knew there was no use in arguing. Sooner or later, they would come face to face with Hades, no matter what she did. It was better if she was there with them when they did.

"Jefferson…bring us up!" David called, as they boarded the elevator and slowly ascended to the surface. As they arrived on the main level, Emma came bursting into the library and took a relieved breath, as she saw that her mother was okay.

"Mom…" she called, as she hurried over and David prodded his wife into their daughter's arms.

"I'm fine sweetie," Snow promised.

"Who the hell put you down there?" Emma asked.

"It was Hermes...and Regina," Snow replied.

"So Regina did do this," Emma growled.

"She's angry and she's grieving. Cora's death just made her want revenge. I don't think she's thinking straight," Snow reasoned.

"Snow...I love you, but Regina helped abduct you and then let Hermes release hell furies to guard you. Not to mention the giant snakes," David admonished and Snow looked sad and shuddered, remembering how frightened she had been.

"He has a point. I know you still care about her, but she doesn't deserve it," Jefferson reminded.

"I know…" she said.

"That seems like a pretty elaborate way to kill someone. Why the theatrics?" Emma asked.

"Because Hermes' goal was to get a sample of Snow's blood. Hades is coming," Persephone stated gravely.

"Do you know where?" Emma asked.

"He will come aboard Charon's boat. The lake if I had to guess," Persephone replied.

"Then I guess we're going to the lake," Emma said, as the five of them hurried out.

~*~

"Dad?" Henry said sleepily that morning, as he came down the stairs.

"Hey buddy," he called.

"What are you doing here so early?" Henry asked curiously.

"Your grandmother had a bit of an emergency and asked me to come over to stay with you," Neal replied.

"What kind of an emergency?" Neal asked, as there was a knock at the loft door. Neal opened it and let his father and Belle in.

"Hey...any news?" he asked. Belle nodded.

"David just texted me. They found her...but there is bigger problems," Belle responded, as she looked at Rumple.

"Papa?" he asked.

"It's Hades...he's coming here," Rumple answered.

"Hades...the Hades? Like Persephone's husband that she escaped?" he asked. Rumple nodded.

"Yes...Snow White's kidnapping was solely for the purpose of obtaining her blood. Hermes has betrayed Zeus and sided with the God of the Underworld," Rumple stated.

"I don't understand...how does Snow's blood bring Hades here?" Neal asked.

"The blood of one that has both been to the land of the living and the world of the dead can allow Hades passage to this realm. Only Snow and Persephone fit that description. I need to join the others at the lake," Rumple replied. Neal nodded and grabbed his coat.

"Can you stay with him? I need to go too," he replied.

"Bae…" Rumple started to protest.

"I can stay," she agreed.

"Let's go," Neal said, not allowing Rumple to argue with him and the Dark One acquiesced. With a final glance at Belle, he followed his son down the stairs.


	60. Welcome to Storybrooke, Pt 1

Chapter 60: Welcome to Storybrooke, Pt 1

Regina and Hermes arrived at the lake. It was just after twilight now and the time had finally come to summon Hades to the world of the living. A chill rippled down Regina's spine and it was definitely from the unusually chilly March air. Spring had come to Storybrooke. In fact, the winter since the curse had broken had been mild and she knew that was indicative of Persephone's presence. It was known now that her emotions could easily affect the weather if she let them be unchecked. Having Snow and her family in her life had given them a very mild winter, but this early morning was frigid. It felt more like a January morning than March and Regina knew why. Kidnapping Snow had likely caused this unseasonable chill in the air and she knew they probably only had moments, before the Goddess came here with the two idiots right behind her.

"Having second thoughts?" Hermes questioned, interrupting her thoughts.

"Of course not...I want my son back and I want her to pay for what she did to my mother," Regina replied. Hermes smirked and popped the cork on the vial, before letting the droplets of Snow's blood fall into the lake. There was a glow in the water and Hermes raised a hand.

"I summon thee, Charon. Bring our Lord and Master to this living realm," he chanted.

"HERMES!" Persephone shouted, as she charged toward them. He smirked and turned to her with a glare.

"You're too late…" he hissed. She growled and her magic slammed into him, thrusting him into the water. Vines came alive and wrapped around his body, constricting him fully, as she seethed with rage.

"Killing is not your way, Persephone," he goaded. She smirked and let her vines wrap around his neck.

"Really? Did you miss what I did to Cora for coming after my daughter? Do you really think I'll think twice about killing you?" she growled and then looked at Regina.

"You have made a grave error, Regina. I warned you! Bringing Hades here will not get you what you want!" Persephone shouted. Regina smirked.

"We'll see…" the former Queen responded, as a boat appeared in the darkness of the waters. Snow and David held each other close, as two figures could be seen in the boat. The one in a dark cloak was obviously Charon and the figure behind him, still shrouded in the shadows, was Hades.

"This won't end the way you think, Regina. Believe me...I know Hades personally and whatever deal you made with him will only hold up if it benefits Hades," Rumple warned. Neal looked at his father.

"You know Hades?" he asked and Emma looked equally surprised.

"It's a long story that will have to be told later, but suffice to say I once owed the God of the Underworld something and would still if not for Persephone," Gold explained.

"I'm not the one he's focused on making suffer," Regina reminded, as she glared at Snow and Persephone.

"What do you think you're doing? You really think this is going end well for you?" David growled, as he held Snow with a frantic edge he hadn't known in a very long time. The man coming toward them was the reason Persephone had been forced to give Snow up and hide her for her entire life.

"If it ends with them paying for what they've done to me...then yes," Regina hissed.

"Then it's true," another voice chimed. They turned to see Henry and Belle there.

"I'm sorry...but he slipped by me when I went to make him some cocoa. I ran all the way to catch up to him," Belle apologized.

"Henry...you need to go home now," Emma said sternly.

"No...I'm tired of being left home! I overheard everything!" he said, as he looked at Regina.

"Did you really kidnap Grandma Snow?" he asked innocently. Regina knelt beside him and reached to him.

"Henry...I did what I did for us," she pleaded with him.

"No...you did it for you. You do want to kill my family. You're not trying to change!" he accused.

"Henry...it's more complicated than that. Persephone killed my mother," she told him.

"I know...she was honest with me. She told me that she did it protect my family...that Cora was going to kill them. And you were helping her!" Henry raged. Regina reached for him, but he backed away toward Snow and Charming.

"Henry...you need to go back home with Belle," Snow urged.

"But what about you and Grandpa?" he asked. David put a hand on his shoulder.

"We're going to be okay, buddy," he promised.

"You shouldn't lie to the boy," Hermes chimed in and one of Persephone's vines wrapped around his mouth to silence him.

Suddenly though, her vines snapped and freed the messenger God. He pulled himself from the water, as the boat docked and they all waited with bated breath. Hermes bowed deeply, as the figure stepped off the boat and Emma reached for her son. As she put her arms around him, Neal moved to stand in front of them, which David instantly noticed and appreciated. He held Snow closely, but was ready to stand in front of both his wife and daughter if it came to that.

"My Lord," Hermes greeted respectfully, as he came into the moonlight.

"Rise my friend," Hades said, as he looked around.

"Such a warm welcome with so many of you coming out to see me," he mentioned, as his eyes locked on his wife.

"Hello, my love," he uttered, as he approached and gently caressed her face with the back of his hand.

"I will never let you harm my family…" Persephone said. He smirked.

"Who says I'm here to do that?" he questioned and her eyes narrowed. She watched him move around her and regard those that had gathered there.

"I see you found your son, Rumpelstiltskin. It seems all the trouble you went through to have the Dark Curse cast worked out, after all," Hades said, as he looked at Belle and then Neal, before regarding Emma and Henry.

"Ah...the Savior. The product of true love and...I guess my step-granddaughter," he said.

"She is not your granddaughter," Snow seethed, as she untangled herself from David and stood with him face to face. He smiled.

"The fair and fierce Snow White...at last we meet again. I have to say, you are as beautiful and as fiery as your mother. I remember the first time I saw her, tending to a meadow full of snowdrops with her mother Demeter nearby. At that point, I had already lived for centuries and yet had never seen such a vision," he said, as his eyes flicked to David and he smirked.

"I'm sure you can relate to what I'm saying. You were as captivated by her as I was by Persephone on the first day you saw her," he said.

"You trapped her in a net. I was a bit more brash, I'll admit and took her back to the Underworld with me," he continued and Snow looked horrified.

"Don't you dare compare yourself to my husband. He is nothing like you!" Snow cried.

"You killed the man my mother loved!" she added. He shrugged.

"In my anger, I did. But she did cheat on me," he retorted.

"You threatened to kill me upon my first breath! You're the reason she had to give me up!" Snow sobbed.

"All true...and I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I said I regret my actions. Hate and rage blinded me, but I am trying to become better," he claimed. Persephone clenched her teeth, as stood before her sweet child and tried to pray on her good nature.

"You have pardoned Regina time and again for crimes much worse," he reminded.

"She slaughtered villages and no one was spared. Not man, woman, or child. Yet you still hold out hope in that pretty, pure little heart that this woman will change," he said, as he smiled.

"And I commend you for it! Think of the place this world would be if people were just a little more like you, Princess," he said, gesturing grandly with his arms.

"Don't. Let. Him. Get. Into. Your. Head," Rumple hissed through clenched teeth to her.

"He's right...whatever he is playing at is a facade. Nothing more. He only wants our suffering," Persephone agreed. He smiled sadly.

"I deserve that from you, but I am going to do my best to prove you wrong, my love. When you left me...I saw the error of my ways. I realized the monster that I was and how much I truly loved you. I don't deserve you...but I am here to make amends to you. And to you...step-daughter," Hades claimed. Snow looked at him with scrutinizing eyes and watched his hand slip into his coat. David pulled her back, fearful of whatever he was searching for.

"I have proof of my good will and I can illustrate that gesture come with a gesture with a gift," Hades stated.

"We want nothing from you," Persephone hissed. He smirked.

"Oh, you want this," he countered, as he pulled out a small mirror and an image appeared on it.

"This mirror is for you, my dear. I know I cannot bring your mortal prince back to life, but I retrieved him from river of lost souls. He is whole again in the Underworld, though I believe his unfinished business keeps him there. But his soul is existing quite comfortably now," Hades said. Persephone glared at him and snatched the mirror from him. Tears came to her eyes, as she saw him sitting in what looked much like the Mayor's office down in Underbrooke. She looked back at Hades with scrutiny.

"What kind of trickery is this?" she spat.

"No trickery," he promised.

"No...not even you have the power to retrieve someone from the river of lost souls once they go in," she recalled.

"I found a way. It wasn't easy, but I did for you," he claimed. She shook her head.

"No...this is some trick or trap. I don't know what you're playing at, but it won't work," she refuted. He smirked.

"I suspected you would feel that way and it's not surprising. But I hope that you'll see that I mean every word I speak," he responded, as he motioned for Hermes to follow him.

"My Lord...why didn't you destroy them?" Hermes questioned.

"Destroy them? I think you have me all wrong, Hermes. I am not here to destroy anyone. I'm here to make peace," he said, as he walked away with a bewildered Hermes following him. Regina looked equally confused and Henry looked between them all.

"Regina...I don't know if Hades meant everything he said, but I do think it's time to put all the strife between us in the past," Snow said. Regina glared at her.

"You want me to forgive what your wretched mother did to mine?" she growled.

"Stop acting like your mother was some innocent victim! She was going to kill us all and you know it," David snapped.

"He's right and if we don't stop this warring between us...then Henry is the one that will end up being the victim," Belle added.

"I don't believe anyone asked you, bookworm," Regina hissed.

"Don't talk to her like that," Gold warned dangerously.

"Mom please...they're right. Think about it! We can all be a family!" Henry said hopefully.

"I don't think that's possible, Henry," she refused.

"Yes it is...if you just try!" the boy said with vehemence. She looked at all of them and then at him sadly.

"I'm sorry Henry...I just can't," she replied, as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Well...of all the things I thought might happen here, it was none of that," Jefferson quipped, as Emma hugged her son close.

"I can't believe him," Persephone growled.

"Is that really him?" Snow asked curiously, as she looked at the mirror. She nodded sadly.

"It is," she confirmed.

"But do not let this soften your opinion of Hades...whatever this ploy is, I am sure it is intended to get us to let our guard down," she warned them all.

"Don't worry, we won't be doing that and I won't be letting you out of my sight," David said, as he put his arms around her from behind. She smiled and leaned back against him.

"I think I'm actually going to hold you to that," she said, as she turned in his embrace and relished his arms around her.

"Okay...I think for now, we should all just go home and try to get some sleep," Emma suggested. They agreed, though Persephone doubted she would sleep a wink. But that fine with her. While her family slept, she would work on a variety of protection spells to keep Hades from being able to harm them and she suspected Gold would be doing the same for Neal and Belle.

"Emma...I really need to talk to you," Neal said. She sighed.

"Can it wait?" she asked.

"Not really...because it's sort of something that's going to happen in the morning," he replied.

"It's like two in the morning already. What is it?" she asked. He sighed.

"Okay, so you're not going to like this, but I promise it's not my fault," he replied.

"That's a really bad way to start a sentence," she warned.

"It's Tamara," he said.

"Your fiance?" she asked.

"Yeah...she sort of might be on her way here and will probably be rolling into town by mid-morning," he replied, wincing, as her face went from tired to sheer disbelief.

"She's coming here?" Emma exclaimed.

"Yeah…" he answered.

"She can't come here!" Emma yelled.

"What am I supposed to say?! She surprised me by saying she was already on her way! You know it would just be weird if I told her she can't come!" he shouted back.

"Neal...this is bad! If she sees magic…" Emma started to say.

"Then I'll tell her everything," he finished.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked.

"No...but I'm going to marry this woman. I don't want secrets between us and let's face it, my life is still one big secret from her," he replied. Emma's mouth was still ajar and she sighed.

"I...I can't deal with this right now," she said tiredly.

"She wants to meet Henry," he added.

"You are really pressing it right now," Emma growled and Snow put her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"The loft is a little small, so how about brunch at the diner for all of us," Snow suggested. Neal nodded.

"Thank you Snow," he agreed, as they parted ways for the evening.

"Another stranger right now is not what we need," Emma grumbled, as she followed her parents back to the truck.

"No...it's not, but he is right about one thing and that is that it would only raise more questions if he refused to let her come here," Snow reasoned. She sighed, not being able to argue with that.

"Come on, let's go home for now. It's very late and way past bedtime for all of us," David added, as they agreed and headed home.

~*~

Late that night, Greg closed the book he was pretending to read, as his nurse made her final rounds for the evening. There would be shift change now and the hospital staff would be reduced slightly overnight. This would be his perfect chance to do some looking around and he intended to do just that. Slowly, he got out of bed and put a robe on, as well as some slippers, before he peered out into the vacant hallway. He looked to the nurse's desk and listened to the conversation.

"What was all the commotion in here earlier tonight?" one nurse asked.

"You didn't hear?" the other nurse asked.

"No," she responded.

"Snow White was abducted...her husband very nearly tore this place apart," the second nurse answered.

"Did they find her?" the first one asked.

"I heard they did, but that's not all that happened," a third one interjected, as she approached, as they huddled together.

"I heard that the Evil Queen was behind it and now Persephone's husband is here for revenge," she gossiped.

"Hades?" the first nurse asked in disbelief. She nodded. Greg's face was marred with confusion and disbelief, as these women used these names like they could be real people. He knew the stories he had been told and he had bought into it all with a bit of skepticism. He knew odd things were going on in this town, evidence that he could never find it again after it disappeared with his father still in it. But to actually entertain the idea that such fiction was blurred with reality was a lot to take in.

Once they weren't looking, he slipped passed the nurse's station and into another empty corridor. This town definitely had secrets and he was determined to blow them wide open. He was convinced it was the only way to learn what had happened to his father. He hid, as he heard the sound of a door unlocking and watched a nurse come up from the basement. The door she was coming from had a keypad on the wall, indicating that only certain people were allowed access. He smirked and watched her walk away, as he hurried to catch the door, before it closed. He descended down the stairwell and looked around the stark white surroundings. There was desk and the name plate on it read Nurse Ratched, which made him shake his head in disbelief.

He walked along the barren halls and the janitor seemed to pay him no mind, as he looked in the rooms. Some were empty, but some had occupants. The walls in the rooms were padded and he was in shock, as he realized the hospital had an asylum of sorts beneath it. He looked at the names on the tags. There was an Albert Spencer, an S. Glass, and an R. McMurphy. There were a couple more rooms that had occupants with no name tags. But he wouldn't have time to examine them, as someone called out to him.

"Hey...you can't be down here! This is for authorized personnel only!" Nurse Ratched called.

"Oh...I'm sorry, I got lost. I was only trying to find a nurse. I think I need more pain meds," he said, as she led him back to her desk.

"Orderly...please escort Mr. Mendell back to his room and see that a nurse tends to him," she ordered. Greg smirked, as the orderly led him back upstairs. They could keep trying to hide their secrets, but he was going to discover everything this town was hiding, no matter what he had to do.

~*~

Snow mewled into his kiss and found herself lost in him, as he made love to her. When they arrived home, they were tired, but much too wired to go to sleep right away. And all either of them could think about was the harrowing evening they had and how it only made them want to be as close as possible. And so, behind the curtain, they undressed each other with a slow intensity and made love with the same intensity and burning passion.

As they came down from their high, she rested atop his chest and he kissed her hair. One hand slowly stroked her naked back and the other hand was laced with hers in a deeply intimate gesture. She traced the lines on his chest, thankful that her mother had healed the surface wounds inflicted on him by the furries. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then her lips, as she lost herself in him again.

"You found me…" she whispered, as their lips parted.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" he asked. She smiled and kissed him again in response.

"Never will I doubt you or our love," she promised.

"Nor will I," he promised in return. She snuggled deeply into his arms and he pillowed her against his chest, as they finally fell asleep.

~*~

Tamara passed over the town line that morning and stopped the car short of town proper. She pulled over on the side of the road and let Hook out of the back seat, before untying his hands. He smirked and leaned in.

"Thank you milady," he leered.

"Just remember our deal or you might find a bullet in your back, Captain," she warned. He smirked. This woman certainly had gumption, he would give her that. But something told him that she wasn't as in charge as she thought she was. He had been a pirate long enough to recognize a pawn when he saw one. The true question was who was she actually working for and when were they going to decide to make their presence known. For now though, he would play her little game and do one thing he was very adept at: causing trouble.

"Good luck to you, lass. I have a feeling you're going to need it," Hook mentioned. She paid his warning no mind though and drove into town, easily finding the diner. Looking around, this little Hamlet looked perfectly ordinary. The townspeople milled about, carrying on with their simple mornings. Her eyes narrowed, as she eyed them all with scrutiny. They may have seemed perfectly ordinary, but none of them belonged here and she was here to see that they were all blown out of this world. But for now, she put on a pleasant smile and spotted Neal waiting nervously outside the diner.

She parked her car and got out, before walking toward him.

"Hey baby," she cooed, as she kissed his cheek. He smiled and they joined hands.

"It's good to see you...I'm glad you're here," he said sincerely. He was actually a little glad. He was going to come clean with everything and as hard as it was going to be for her to believe, he believed she would come around. Then there could be no burden or secrets between them.

"I hope you don't mind, but Emma and her family are coming to breakfast with us. I think it will make Henry more comfortable and Emma is a little protective when it comes to him," Neal explained. She nodded, as they went into the diner.

"I understand...this is her little boy and she wants to know who the people in his life are," she reasoned. He smiled and nodded. She understood perfectly. He only hoped that continued, especially since he would soon be asking her to suspend everything she knew about reality.

"This is such a quaint little town. I had no idea places like this existed anymore. Even small towns these days seem so commercialized and growing until they're no longer small," she mentioned. He nodded.

"Storybrooke is a bit of a hidden gem, I guess. I think that's why my father likes it," Neal replied.

"So things are good with you and your Dad?" she asked.

"I'm not sure we're at good yet, but you seem surprised," he replied.

"Well...let's face it. This is the man that abandoned you," she reminded. He nodded.

"Yeah...but it turns out there are things I didn't really know and from what I've seen so far, he really has changed," Neal offered. She smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Then I can't wait to meet him," she said, as she saw a flash of blonde hair outside the window. She was with a boy and two others that were obviously a couple. And their conversation seemed intense.

Emma walked alongside Henry and it was easy for her parents to tell that she seemed like she was being walked to an execution, rather than brunch at Granny's. They exchanged a silent glance, easily communicating without any words, and then stopped outside Granny's, as Snow gently put a hand on her arm.

"Emma...honey, your father and I talked briefly this morning and we know this is a really difficult situation," Snow began.

"I'm fine, Mom. Neal being engaged doesn't bother me," she insisted.

"Okay...but we know that when we go in there that it's going to be awkward at best, so we want you to know that it's okay with us if you want to make things a bit easier," David added. Her brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"We talked about it and we're okay with it if it will be easier for you to introduce us as perhaps a different type of relation," Snow replied.

"We know to a person that isn't from here that us being your parents is unbelievable," David added.

"So...you think I should introduce you as what? My brother and his wife?" she asked, not missing how it made them both look uncomfortable. But they nodded and she felt her emotions threaten to boil over. It didn't matter to them that they didn't want to be known as anything other than her parents, but were willing to put aside their feelings to make her comfortable.

"I guess that would be easier for her to believe," Emma muttered. They nodded and Henry watched the exchange between them, as they went into the diner. He hated lying, but in this instance he got why his Mom might need to do so. Outsiders were dangerous. He may have been a kid, but he had seen enough movies and read a plethora of comic books to know that.

"Hey kid," Neal greeted, as he took a chair next to his Dad.

"Henry...this is Tamara, my fiance," he introduced.

"It's very nice to meet you, Henry," she said, as they shook hands.

"Yeah...you too," he fibbed politely. He still thought his Mom and Dad should be together, like his grandparents. They had his Mom and they were still in love, so why shouldn't his Mom and Dad be together too?

"And you must be Emma," Tamara said evenly, as she and Emma stared each other down.

"That's me," the blonde answered with a tight smile. Tamara glanced at the couple behind her and then looked expectant.

"Are you family of Emma's too?" she asked. Snow and David exchanged a glance, but Emma answered for them.

"They are my…" Emma started to say, but then stopped, as she realized how much she didn't want to tell anyone that they weren't her parents. She realized that she didn't want to introduce them as anything other than what they were. She knew how difficult it would be for Tamara to believe, but she found that she didn't care. These were her parents and she loved them for exactly that. It hurt to think of introducing them as anything else.

"These are my parents," she announced and Tamara blanched, before smiling awkwardly.

"Um...okay?" she asked in confusion. Emma nodded.

"I know it looks impossible, but they are. These are my parents, David and Mary Margaret Nolan," she replied. Snow put a hand to her heart, as she was incredibly touched and David slipped his arm around her waist. They exchanged a warm gaze and then looked back. Tamara looked at Neal and he shook his head affirmatively.

"Well okay then...it's nice to meet you both too," she replied awkwardly, as they sat down. They could tell that the woman was trying to wrap her head around it all and they ordered from Granny while she did. The meal was awkward at best and it wasn't long, before they were getting a call for the Sheriff.

"Sheriff," Emma answered the call in the hallway.

"Are you sure it's him?" she asked, as she listened to Leroy on the other end.

"Okay...Dad and I'll be right there," she said, as she went back to the table.

"We have something we need to check out. Police stuff," she said vaguely, as she glanced at her father. He nodded and kissed Snow quickly, before getting his coat.

"Is everything okay?" Snow asked. Emma nodded.

"It's probably nothing," she assured, as she turned to Henry.

"Are you okay hanging out with your Dad and Tamara for a while, kid?" she asked. Henry nodded.

"Sure," he replied, with a shrug.

"Okay...we'll see you later," Emma replied, as she and David left.

"I should probably get to the office too," Snow said, as she hugged Henry and put her coat on.

"It was nice to meet you, Tamara," Snow said.

"Likewise," Tamara replied, as she left too.

"So...what does Mary Margaret do for a living?" Tamara asked curiously.

"Grandma is the Mayor," Henry chimed in, as Neal winced.

"Really? Grandma?" she asked and the boy nodded.

"So your Mom is Sheriff and her Mom is Mayor?" Tamara asked. He nodded.

"And Gramps is my Mom's deputy," Henry answered. Nothing about it seemed strange at all to him, but Tamara looked to Neal then.

"Okay...what the hell is going on here, Neal?" she questioned. He sighed.

"Let's go over to the Inn...it's kind of a lot," he replied, as Henry grabbed his backpack.

"You got the book?" he asked. Henry nodded and followed them over to the Inn side of the diner. This was likely going to be a very uncomfortable conversation...


	61. Welcome to Storybrooke, Pt 2

Chapter 61: Welcome to Storybrooke, Pt 2

After leaving the lake the night before, Hades surveyed for the richest neighborhood in Storybrooke, which naturally brought him to Mifflin Street. Since Deimos had been imprisoned, his mansion was vacant, so the God of the Underworld decided to take up residence. He had already magically redecorated to his liking and had spoken little to Hermes since the confrontation with Persephone and her family just hours ago. Or non-confrontation rather. Hermes was still extremely puzzled by Hades attitude and actions. And the God of the Underworld didn't seem to feel the need to share his reasons. Which annoyed and frustrated Hermes, obviously.

He had taken big risks in going down this path. Zeus likely knew of his betrayal by now and he was certain that if he stepped foot anywhere near Olympus right now, he'd be struck with one of the superior God's infamous thunderbolts.

"I suppose you are wondering about my actions at the lake," Hades finally said, interrupting his internal thought process.

"Now that you mention it...why did you let them live? I thought the whole point of making Persephone pay was to kill that which she loves most," Hermes answered. He smirked.

"I could have chosen to strike last night and together, we might have even overpowered Persephone and killed that precious little Charming family. But where is the fun in that?" Hades questioned.

"Then you do plan to make them pay?" Hermes questioned with a smirk.

"Depends on your definition of pay," Hades retorted vaguely, as he gazed out the window of the home. It was so good to be in the world of the living again.

"Did you really revive Persephone's mortal Prince?" Hermes asked. He smirked.

"I did," he answered.

"Why?" Hermes questioned.

"For the fun of it," Hades answered.

"I...I don't understand," Hermes replied.

"Therein lies the beauty of it. You see, Persephone doesn't understand either and she will labor over why I did it or if I even did it. And when she eventually comes face to face with him again, she may be surprised at what she finds," Hades said cryptically.

"Still lost," Hermes said, as the King of the Underworld chuckled.

"Let's just say that her precious Elijah has been in the river a very long time and that has an effect on a person, even just the soul of a person. We'll leave it at that for now," Hades stated. Hermes mulled that over, as Hades continued to gaze out the window at the little gem known as Storybrooke.

~*~

Regina gazed out Henry's bedroom window, as the town went about it's normal routine that morning. She hadn't slept at all since the confrontation at the lake with Hades. It hadn't been much of a confrontation at all though and certainly had not ended as she had envisioned. In her mind, it was supposed to end with her enemies swept away and her bringing Henry home to sleep in his own bed. But none of that had transpired and worse, Henry had arrived to witness her part in Hades arrival in town. She would never forget the look in his eyes when she was forced to tell him she was involved in Snow's kidnapping. She clutched one of his pillows to her chest and inhaled his scent from it.

If only he could understand why she had done all of it. But he was just too young to understand that she just wanted him to be happy and she was doing all this for him, even if he couldn't see it. Her own mother had once done the same for her and she hadn't been able to see it either at the time. But Cora had been right about power. It was the only way she could have everything. But without Hades making her enemies pay, she had no idea how to get that power back, short of outright killing her enemies. Even with a sneak attack, she'd likely never successfully pull anything like that off. She sighed and decided to get dressed, before going to her vault. All of her mother's things were there and it was time to face the painful task of going through them.

~*~

"What was the call about?" David asked, once they were outside the diner.

"Someone said they spotted Hook down at the Harbor," Emma replied.

"So he made it back here from New York...without his ship?" David asked. She nodded.

"Yeah...and I'd like to know how. He doesn't strike me as the type that navigates land as well as he does sea," Emma replied. He looked at her.

"Do you think he had help?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Possibly and I have some other questions for him," she replied.

"Yeah, he has a pair of handcuffs with his name on them," he agreed, as Snow exited the diner and caught up to them.

"Hey...are you okay?" he asked, as she put her arms around him.

"I am...I was just wondering if maybe you'd be okay with the Mayor coming along on this call?" she questioned. He smiled and kissed her hair.

"You did say you didn't want to let me out of your sight," she added, as she bit her bottom lip. He grinned.

"I did say that. It's definitely okay with me. What about you, Sheriff?" he asked. Emma smiled.

"Of course," she replied, but then turned to them.

"But can you guys like promise not to make out and stuff?" she asked. He chuckled.

"We'll try," he said, as he gazed at Snow fondly. Emma rolled her eyes playfully at them, before she continued on, with them following, hand in hand.

~*~

Over at the Inn, they entered the common room and Tamara took a look around.

"Wow...it looks like this place hasn't been redecorated since 1980," she commented, taking in the dated wallpaper and furniture.

"Yeah...you're closer than you think," Neal quipped. She turned and looked at him.

"Okay Neal...what's going on? And what was all that at breakfast?" she questioned, as Henry watched his father shift nervously. He thought about telling her himself, but he figured she'd just laugh and think it was cute. He had gotten a lot of that from people before the curse was broken.

"Okay yeah...there's something I need to tell you. Here's the thing. I'm not from here. I'm from a place called the Enchanted Forest," he said. He decide maybe just ripping off the band-aid would be the way to go and expected her laugh when it came.

"I'm being serious," he said, silencing her, as he grabbed the book from Henry's bag.

"Here...go ahead," he said, as they sat down. She gave him a disbelieving look and then opened the book with an annoyed expression.

"These are fairy tales," she replied.

"And they're real, all right? They're more than real...they're history. They're my history...basically the history of everyone in this town," he said, as he flipped through the pages.

"See this little boy?" he asked, as he pointed to the book.

"That's me," he added.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tamara questioned with an angry edge in her tone.

"I'm trying to be honest with you," he replied. She closed the book and stood up.

"If you wanted to be honest, you would just tell me what this is really about," she shot back.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked, as he stood up.

"Oh I don't know, cute blondes? Mother of your child?" she replied.

"Emma?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm not a fool, Neal. I saw the way you two look at each other, even if you try to hide it. That other couple was looking at each other like that all through breakfast, except that it was to a level that was purely nauseating," she complained.

"Grams and Gramps are just like that though. They're true love," Henry chimed in.

"Grams and Gramps…" she snorted, as she took Neal by the arm and pulled him out of earshot.

"Those people can't be his grandparents!" she hissed.

"I know it looks impossible…" Neal started to say, but she cut him off.

"No Neal...it is impossible! But your kid believes it and obviously his Mom encourages it!" she said.

"Hold on...Emma is a good Mom. And I know all of this is a mess, but if you let me explain, I can," he pleaded. But she shook her head.

"You just defended her! That's what this is about!" she accused.

"It's not like that," he refuted.

"Really? Because I think it is. If you want to be with her, Neal, you could've just told me instead of making up crap to force me away," she hissed.

"I don't want to force you away! That's why I'm telling you all this! I'm trying to be one hundred percent honest with you about my past," he argued. But she shook her head.

"No...you still have feelings for Emma and you are even indulging your son's fantasies about that couple being his fairy tale grandparents. Hell, Emma introduced them as her parents, which makes her delusional," Tamara spat.

"Hey...it's not like that," Neal defended and she shook her head.

"I'm sure...but here's the thing. When you're ready to be honest with me about yourself, your feelings, then come find me," Tamara said, glancing at Henry.

"And when you're ready to get your son out of this obviously unhealthy situation, I'll be ready to help you find a good family attorney," she added, as she stormed out. Neal blew out a breath and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"That didn't go very well," Henry commented. He sighed.

"No...it didn't. I think the only way she's gonna believe in all this is if she sees it with her own eyes," he replied.

"That's it! We can show her magic and then she has to believe!" Henry exclaimed.

"Whoa...not yet. There is no way she's ready for that. I need to talk to her again first, but right now, I think it's best if we let her cool off for a while," he said. Henry shrugged and they went back over to the diner side.

~*~

Emma arrived at the Harbor with Snow and David behind her. But they didn't see the Jolly Roger docked anywhere.

"Did he leave?" David wondered, but Snow looked up into the sky and saw seagulls circling peculiarly above them.

"No...I don't think so," she said, as she grabbed some sand from a bucket on the dock and tossed it seemingly into the water. Except it didn't hit the water first and rather something solid they couldn't see before them.

"Captain Hook has a cloaking device for his ship?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably something Cora gave him, but I bet you could remove it," David replied.

"Me? I'm not even sure how to begin to do something like that," she said. Snow and David exchanged a glance and then looked back at their daughter.

"You just need to feel it...like you did when we fought Cora. You put up that protection spell and you can break through this cloak," David stated.

"He's right...we believe in you, Emma. Now believe in yourself," Snow added. Emma took a deep breath and stretched her hands out, as she concentrated her magic. A burst of white light erupted from her hands and hit the shield in front of them. It rippled and burst, suddenly revealing the Jolly Roger before them. Hook looked startled, as the three of them boarded the ship.

"Hello Hook…" Emma greeted. He smirked.

"Swan," he leered, as he let his eyes roam appreciatively over her.

"Oh this guy is going to get under my skin really fast, isn't he?" David murmured to his wife and she winced.

"Probably," she agreed, as they followed their daughter. As per usual, Snow had her hand hooked on his elbow and his hand rested on her hip opposite him. It was not unusual for them, but after what they had been through lately, the need to be touching always was almost as necessary as breathing for them now.

"To what do I owe this...pleasure?" he asked, as his eyes raked over her.

"How'd you get back?" Emma asked bluntly.

"I'm a pirate...I find my way around," he replied.

"Yeah...at sea, but there's no boats that are unaccounted for, which means you got here on land. You can't drive and no buses come here. It's not exactly easy to find," she said. She was still miffed about that. Neal would have had to give Tamara pretty good directions for her to find her way on the winding back roads of Maine or so she assumed. Come to think of it, even if Greg Mendell's claims that he veered off course, because he was drunk, didn't really add up all that well either. And she hated when things didn't add up. There was more going on here, but she had little proof. If she could just find that one loose thread though, she knew that one pull, and everything would unravel. But that loose thread wasn't obvious at the time, so she was bound and determined to find it.

"Buses?" Hook asked in bewilderment. Emma rolled her eyes.

"See, you don't even know what a bus is and I know you can't drive. So start talking now," she ordered.

"Or what?" he goaded.

"Or you can go to jail," Emma replied.

"And what crime have I committed?" Hook questioned. She looked at him incredulously.

"Well, stabbing Gold with your poisoned Hook comes to mind," David interjected. The pirate smirked.

"Oh, I rather believe I was doing all the realms a great service by ridding us of the Crocodile. Pity it didn't stick," Hook retorted.

"The bigger question is why would Prince Charming befriend such a being? Doesn't he operate askew to your strong moral compass?" the pirate goaded.

"Perhaps Prince Charming is farcical title, after all. Maybe you are no better than him...or me," he leered. Emma was about to retort, but shouldn't have been surprised when her mother beat her to it.

"Oh, I can assure you, Captain, that my husband is so much better than you. The fact that you even have the gall to suggest that he's on your lowly level is laughable," Snow interjected.

"And trust me...there is nothing farcical about his title. If Prince Charming really is a concept, as this world suggests, then he is the embodiment of that title," she continued defensively. Hook smirked, letting his eyes rake over the raven haired beauty this time.

"I see where your daughter gets her...gumption," he leered, as his tongue poked out on his lower lip. David clenched his fist, wanting nothing more than to deck this smarmy pirate.

"Okay...that's enough, Hook. You're under arrest and you'll thank me for it, because the other option is to just let Dad tear you apart," Emma replied.

"Worried Charming? I've had many a man's wife, you know," Hook boasted, as Emma cuffed him. He chuckled.

"I knew it...you just can't wait to tie me up, can you love?" he leered.

"How about it...shall we go below deck and have some fun?" Hook leered and then hissed in pain, as Emma made sure the handcuffs pinched him. He chuckled.

"Our daughter isn't going anywhere with you," Snow said and he looked at her.

"I knew it...you'd rather have me all to yourself, right love?" he leered. But he wasn't expecting Snow to laugh at him.

"Are you so deluded by your own ego that you think I could be swayed away from my husband by the likes of you?" she shot back.

"Many a married woman has, love," he leered.

"I am not your love. I'm his love," she snapped back.

"I take my marriage vows very seriously, Captain and the true love I share with my husband is obviously something far beyond your comprehension. There is no man, least of all you, that could lure me from his arms and your attempts are disgusting," she continued. The look on David's face was as smug as any Emma had ever seen and she smirked at the pirate.

"Congratulations, you pissed off my Mom. Probably the sweetest, kindest, most forgiving woman I know. That's quite a feat," Emma goaded, as she marched him off the ship.

"Ugh...it's beyond me how any woman would fall for any of those lines or that smarmy smirk," Snow complained, as they followed their daughter. But he stopped her when they stepped back onto the dock.

"So...level with me. You don't find him even a little aesthetically pleasing?" David asked. She smirked and smoothed her hands inside his open leather jacket, along his chest.

"Why would I when all this is mine?" she asked, as her eyes looked him up and down. He grinned.

"Are you flirting with me, Mrs. Nolan?" he purred. She grinned back and tugged him closer by his collar.

"What do you think, handsome?" she purred back, as their lips met passionately.

"Guys...you promised not to make out," Emma whined. Their lips parted and they chuckled together.

"I think we promised that we'd try," Snow corrected. Emma huffed and rolled her eyes, before prodding Hook into the back seat of the patrol car.

"Twenty-eight and she still rolls her eyes at us like she did when she was a teenager," he joked. She smiled and kissed him quickly again. She then frowned at the prospect of sitting in back with Hook. He sighed.

"Take the front with Em. I'll sit in back with his smarminess," David relented. She smirked and kissed his cheek.

"I'll make it up to later," she promised with a sultry look. He smirked.

"Can't wait for that," he said, as they got in the car and Emma drove off for the station.

~*~

"Well, Mr. Mendell, I'd say your recovery is nothing short of miraculous, considering the internal bleeding you came in with," Whale stated, as he scribbled on the patient's chart.

"So I can go?" he asked.

"I don't see any reason you can't be discharged later today. Physically you check out fine, though I need you to take it easy. But if your blood tests come back okay, then you can be on your way," Whale replied encouragingly.

"Thank you Doctor," Greg replied, as the doctor hung his chart back up and left. Greg waited to make sure he was gone and then dialed "her".

"Hey...it's me. Are you here yet?" he asked.

"I just got here this morning. When are you going to be released?" Tamara asked.

"Later today...so I'll be getting a room at the Inn. Then I can finally search this town properly for my father," he whispered into the phone.

"Good...I met the boy and his family. The stories that we were told are apparently true," Tamara responded.

"Yes...I've been getting the same thing and more than just fairy tales that are supposedly real," Greg mentioned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I'll explain more later, but there is definitely strange things going on in this town and I'm going to find proof," he replied.

"We both are. I went off on Neal and acted like his entire story was bogus. Now I'm sure he'll make the mistake of showing me what I want to see and then we'll have the proof that this town is diseased with magic," she said.

"When are you going to break it off with him? Now that we're here, we don't need him anymore," Greg hissed.

"Yes, we do. I promise it will be soon though," she refuted. He sighed.

"Fine...can I at least see you tonight?" Greg asked.

"Neal will probably be spending time with the kid. Come to my room around dinner time. I'll tell Neal that I need some time to think and opt out of dinner with him and the Nolans," she said.

"Great, see you then and we can go over the next step...among other things," he leered, as their call ended.

~*~

Zelena was a few weeks into her stint as Kelly West, a nobody citizen of Storybrooke and she had bided her time, watching and waiting in the shadows. She was getting a bit impatient, but for all she knew, Snow White was already with child and just in the early days. Soon enough, she was certain the Princess would be sporting a baby bump that would be her key to getting everything she wanted.

"Is this seat taken?" a voice asked and she looked up from her place on the park bench. Her mouth was slightly ajar, as she was surprised to see none other than Hades himself standing there. But then she smirked.

"So...you found a way here," she stated.

"No thanks to you," he replied, as he sat down next to her.

"Well, you were going to stand in my way of getting what I want and I'm not going let anyone do that, even the God of the Underworld," she spat in return.

"So it seems. Because of your betrayal, I had to rely on my minion to use the blood of my step-daughter to get me here," he replied.

"And yet she still lives. I thought you'd try to murder the poor thing the moment you had the chance," Zelena stated. He chuckled.

"Why Zelena...don't tell me you care about the well being of Snow White?" he questioned. She scoffed.

"Of course not...I just need her alive, until she spawns another brat, that is," she refuted.

"Then you haven't given up your foolhardy plan to travel back in time?" he questioned.

"It's not foolhardy! It's the only way I can have everything!" Zelena refuted.

"Really? You'd actually want to be raised by the likes of your mother Cora and King Leopold. To me, it sounds like you dodged a bullet there," Hades quipped.

"If it means that my sister won't exist and mother will give me everything, then yes! At least I will be appreciative of her efforts, unlike Regina," Zelena spat.

"And yet...you don't seem overly sad about your mother's passing," he said. She scoffed.

"Helping Regina got her that fate. It will be different for her with me," Zelena responded.

"Zelena...I encourage you to give up this conquest and think of a new one. One where we can rule together and sweep away all our enemies," he tempted. She smirked.

"Sorry...I have no interest in being your Queen. Besides, I thought that title was still taken?" she questioned.

"Persephone can barely stand the sight of me and she's far too absorbed with her Charming little family to be my proper Queen," he replied.

"Well...that's your problem. No one is standing my way and it will not be long until Snow White is with child, considering that she and the Prince can't keep their hands off each other," she said. He smirked.

"Yes...giving her that potion to nullify her birth control was a nice touch. But I still must warn against this path, my dear Zelena," he said.

"And why is that?" she asked.

"Quite simply, it is one offense that my brother will not stand for or let go unpunished," he warned. She gave him a skeptical look.

"Zeus may have broken most of his own rules and sleeps with anything that moves, but this is one aspect of magic even he hasn't tampered with. It's expressly forbidden in the most severe sense," Hades warned.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" she questioned.

"It should," he snapped.

"What if I could promise you a better life?" she questioned.

"Not even time travel can change my banishment to the Underworld," he refuted.

"Perhaps not...but it would give you a chance to do things differently. As much as you express your love for me, I know that you will always hold a torch for Persephone. What if you could go back and with a kinder hand...you might earn her love in return," she tempted. He looked at her, but shook his head.

"I'm not sure that's possible," he refused.

"Oh, I don't know...think about it. What if you had spared her mortal Prince that day and forgave her indiscretion? What if you promised to help her raise her lover's child and even let her be with her mortal lover half the year?" Zelena asked.

"And why would I do that?" he asked. She smirked.

"Think about it...what do you Eva and the northern Kingdom would think if they had to deal with the scandal of their Prince having Persephone as his consort?" she asked. He smirked.

"They would cast him out...unless he agreed to marry for the good of his Kingdom," Hades realized.

"Which would most certainly sour any love between them. And what do you think would be their opinion of dear little Snow White?" Zelena questioned.

"She'd be labeled a bastard child in the royal court...she'd be lucky if she was allowed to be a servant in her father's Kingdom. And since she's a girl...she'd be more of a slave than anything," Hades said. She smirked.

"And then you could provide salvation for her beloved child. She would adore you for it...and eventually love you. You might even be able to eventually convince her that all the strife in her life is Zeus' fault. Persephone would easily sway the other Gods to her cause and then...you would rule Olympus with her by your side," Zelena replied. He chuckled.

"Oh Zelena...I almost forgot how devious your mind is," he said. She smirked.

"Then you'll help me?" she asked. He smirked.

"Time Travel...Zeus will hate that," he mused and then looked at her.

"You have yourself a partner in crime, my dear," he agreed. She smirked.

"Good...I'll even play the villain so you can pretend to disapprove of my plans and side with the heroes. That will win points with Persephone too. All we need now is...for Snow White and Prince Charming to conceive another product of true love," she stated.

"Well, like you said, I doubt it will be long with the way those two look at each other, if it hasn't already happened," he replied, as they shared a devious smiled. So far, his visit to Storybrooke had yielded unexpected, but very interesting results. If they could pull it off...then perhaps time travel was the answer to him getting everything he truly wanted as well…


	62. Mixed Signals

Chapter 162: Mixed Signals

When they arrived back at the station, Emma and David booked the pirate and he looked none too happy, as Emma put him in a cell, before closing it.

"You still haven't told me the charges, love," he stated.

"How about attempted murder?" Neal called from the doorway, as he entered the station. Hook rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry...you are?" he questioned. Neal smirked.

"You don't recognize me...that figures. Why would you?" he added, as he came closer to the cell.

"Why would you remember the boy you sold out to Pan to save your own skin. I guess that was a couple hundred years ago though," Neal replied. Hook's face went ashen, as he stared at the other man with a mix of emotions.

"Bae?" he questioned.

"You escaped Neverland?" Hook asked.

"No thanks to you," he spat.

"Bae...I never wanted to turn you over to that demon, but if I remember correctly, you wanted nothing to do with me when you found out," Hook reasoned.

"You mean found out that you're the reason my mother left us?" Neal questioned.

"Well...it's not my fault that unhappily married women flock to me," Hook hissed. Neal reached through the bars for him, amusing Hook greatly, especially as Emma pulled him back.

"Hey...no, he's not worth it," she chided.

"He's nothing but trouble, Emma," he warned.

"And now he's behind bars where he belongs," she admonished. He sighed.

"Yeah…" he said, as sat down at one of the desks, just as Henry came into the station.

"Hey kid...how was school?" Emma asked. He wrinkled his nose and shrugged, making Neal chuckle.

"Way less interesting than breakfast this morning," he mentioned.

"Oh yeah...how did that go after we left?" Snow asked curiously.

"About like you'd expect. I told her everything. There was yelling...and stuff," he muttered.

"I'm sorry Neal," Snow offered. He nodded.

"Do you think Mom could show her magic? Maybe she would believe then?" Henry questioned. The four of them exchanged a glance.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea yet, buddy," Neal replied.

"Wait...he's your son?" Hook questioned, as they all looked up at him.

"Uh yeah...what about it?" Neal asked.

"Is he in there, because he tried to kill Grandpa Gold?" Henry questioned. Emma smirked.

"Pretty much," she said smugly, as she glanced at the pirate.

"If you have everything handled here, then I think we're going to go get Wilby and check on things at the bean field," David mentioned, as he looked at his wife and took her hand.

"And then maybe a walk down by the Toll bridge," he offered. She grinned and hooked her hand on his elbow.

"Okay...see you guys at the diner later?" Emma asked. Snow nodded.

"We'll be there. And Neal, feel free to invite Tamara again if you think she's comfortable with it. I know your father and Belle will be there too, so maybe it will help her come to terms with everything," Snow suggested. He nodded.

"Thanks Snow," he replied, as he stood up.

"Come on kid, let's get you a snack while I finish some paperwork and then we'll go to Granny's," she suggested, as they headed for the vending machines.

"I see you've gotten in good with the in-laws," Hook mentioned to Neal.

"What are you talking about? They're not my in-laws," he refuted.

"Sure...is that why you look at their daughter with longing?" Hook questioned. Neal scoffed.

"There's nothing between Emma and me anymore. We share a kid, that's it," he retorted. Hook smirked.

"Right...you're not still carrying a torch for her, got it," the pirate mused.

"I'm engaged," Neal insisted.

"Of course...I guess you wouldn't mind me making a play for Emma then, would you?" Hook questioned. Neal chuckled.

"You've got zero chance with Emma. She can't stand you…" he shot back. Hook smirked.

"Oh, I didn't say a conquest for her would be easy, but that's how I like it," the pirate goaded.

"Emma is not some conquest!" Neal protested hotly, only making Hook's smirk wider.

"I thought you were engaged?" he questioned.

"I am...but she's still the mother of my kid and I care about her. That's what women are to you...just conquests. Don't think for a second that Emma will be the same. She's not like other women," Neal warned.

"Oh I know...thus the basis of her intrigue," Hook countered. But Neal smirked.

"You're in jail...there won't be any conquests for you," he said. Hook smirked.

"We'll see," he retorted, as Neal walked away, as Emma and Henry came back into the room. Part of him felt bad for Neal, for he knew for a fact this fiance of his didn't really love him. But telling him didn't do Hook any favors and as always, he would be looking out for number one.

~*~

Wilby trotted along ahead of them, as they trekked toward the Toll Bridge. They had just come from the bean fields and things were going well there. Tiny was fitting in nicely with the dwarves and had truly seemed to find a home again with them. For that, they were glad. They stopped on the knoll below the bridge and let Wilby sniff around. He didn't wander far and that left them to their own devices.

"Anton seemed really happy," she mentioned.

"Yeah...I'm glad. I still can't believe my brother helped kill his family," he lamented.

"You're not responsible for that," she reminded.

"I know...I guess I just wonder what if, you know?" he asked.

"What if what?" she questioned. He shrugged.

"What if I had been the one raised by King George? Would I have grown up to be corrupt?" he wondered. But she shook her head.

"No…" she said immediately.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Because I know your heart. You may have been twins, but you're not interchangeable with your brother. You're still very different people to the core and I know as hard as George might have tried had he raised you, you'd never be like him or James," she answered confidently. He smiled and gazed at her, drinking in her beauty, as he often did.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but I am the luckiest man in all the realms," he mentioned. She looked at him shyly and then nudged him playfully. He grinned at her shyness and slipped his arm around her waist, before pulling her flush against him.

"Please...I'm the lucky one. There was a time, before you, that I didn't even believe in love," she mused, as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"I know...it hurts me to think about all you went through before we met. I know there were cold nights and ones where you went hungry when you were in hiding. Nights where you cried and had no one to hold you," he mentioned. She shuddered and cuddled close to him.

"Do you think I'm completely foolish for hoping that Regina can ever change?" she asked.

"I would never think you are foolish and you know how much I admire your ability to see the best in people," he replied.

"But Charming...there is probably a point that it is foolish. And I'm afraid...I'm afraid I'm reaching that point with her and I don't like it," she said, as her bottom lip quivered. His heart broke for her.

"I know, my darling. For your sake, I want Regina to finally see the light, so to speak. Despite everything...she is part of your family," he reasoned. She nodded.

"She wasn't always like this...marrying my father did not help. I loved him, but finding out about his involvement with Cora cast him in a new light for me. I see things about him now that I didn't see back then," she said sadly.

"It's okay for you to remember the good about him though," he replied. She nodded.

"Oh, I know...I guess I am still just reeling a bit from how I grew thinking I knew exactly who I was...and then finding out none of it's true," she mused. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"But then I look at you and Emma and Henry and realize that none of that matters. Because I know exactly who I am now and who I want to be. I'm your wife and Emma mother and Henry's grandmother," she replied. He smiled at her and kissed her tenderly.

"Exactly...you're Snow White. You've always told me that you never cared that I wasn't born a royal...that my origins didn't make me all I am and the same goes for you, my love," he added. She nodded and kissed him again. Their lips parted, as they heard Wilby bark and walk in circles, like he wanted them to come to him.

"He's excited about something," she said.

"Let's go see," he replied, as they joined hands. With that, Wilby took off and they hurried to follow. When they reached the other side of the bridge, they spotted a dirty, rundown trailer. Wilby ran to it and pawed at the door, as David knocked.

"Hello?" he called. There was no answer, but Wilby was not calming, so he opened the door and peered in.

"Hello?" Snow called, hoping that perhaps a female voice would either put the person at ease or lower their guard.

"Back here!" a voice called, as they stepped in and came face to face with a completely wooden man.

"August?" David asked in disbelief and then looked at Snow, who shared his look of disbelief.

"What happened to you?" Snow asked. He shrugged.

"Nothing...this is me," August replied.

"But the curse broke," she argued.

"Not for me. When it lifted, I could move again. But I stayed like this. This is my punishment and I can't blame Regina for mine. I did this to myself," August answered.

"No argument there," David muttered, only to have Snow smack his arm,

"David," she chided.

"No...he's right. He has every reason to say those things, especially after the confrontation we had at the well. I tried to use Emma...and that was wrong. And I accused your husband of coddling her and being just as bad as Gold," he said.

"Yes...you were wrong, very wrong on both those counts. But you don't have to hide anymore. There are people in Storybrooke who care about you," she reminded.

"How is he? My Papa?" August inquired.

"Well...he has been avoiding us, but we know he misses you. He even put up a flier at Granny's after the curse broke when everyone was still trying to find each other," David offered.

"August...you need to go to him," Snow encouraged.

"I can't let him see me like this," he refused.

"So...what? You're just going to sit out here alone and keep being selfish?" David asked.

"Charming...we have talked about your tact," Snow scolded.

"Yeah I know...I don't have any," he replied.

"Please reconsider…" Snow pleaded.

"A lot has happened. Neal's here and you know, he's actually owned his part in Emma going to prison and having to give up Henry. I think it's time you do the same, especially if you're looking for redemption of any kind," David said bluntly. Snow sighed.

"Neal is back? Then he and Emma are back together?" he asked.

"Um...no, he's actually engaged to someone he met in New York," Snow answered.

"I was hoping...that's my problem. Hoping. Hoping that things can still work out. Hoping that I can find redemption for the mistakes that I've made. But maybe some things you just don't come back from," he said miserably.

"No...you must never lose hope," Snow admonished.

"Hope is the reason we're all here and redemption is possible if you really want it. You deserve a second chance," she added.

"That's easy for you two to say. You've never had to worry about forgiveness and redemption. You never needed it," August retorted.

"It's time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Come back to town with us and we'll find your father," David said.

"You expect me to face him like this? A wood pile of failure?" he asked incredulously.

"Don't say that," Snow pleaded.

"You two want to help me? Leave," he snapped. David gave him a hard look and then led his disappointed wife out of the trailer.

"Do we tell Emma?" Snow whispered.

"I'd rather not keep anything from her and she'd want to know. But you know...I think we should go further than that. It's time Marco faced us too and we talked. Then with any luck, maybe we can reunite another family," he said. She smiled at him and kissed him passionately.

"You may have no tact, but this is what I was talking about earlier. Your heart is so good. You would have never been like James," she assured. He smiled and kissed her again.

"Maybe, but you make me the best version of myself," he told her, as they started back over the bridge.

"Come on Wilby!" he called, as the dog followed loyally.

~*~

After being released from the hospital, Greg Mendell made his way to the Inn and after getting a room, he went over to the diner to get something to eat. And observe the townsfolk for the purpose of possibly gathering more Intel. He purposely sat in the spot that he knew Regina Mills always claimed and ordered a slice of apple pie. He was aware of Tamara's presence a few seats away, but they did not make eye contact and kept with the ruse that they did not know each other.

He observed Neal come into the diner with a boy beside them. They each were carrying wooden swords and looked a little out of breath, but happy.

"Hey Ruby...can we get a couple of waters?" Neal called. The waitress smiled.

"Sure thing," she called back.

"I'm hungry...let's get one of Granny's cinnamon rolls too," Henry said.

"Nice try, but if I stuff you full of sugar before dinner, neither your Mom or Grandmother will be happy with me. How about some fruit or something healthy to hold you over?" Neal asked. Henry wrinkled his nose.

"Fine...but no apples," he replied. Neal chuckled.

"Grab a booth...I'm sure Granny has some grapes and a banana or something for you," he said, as he went up to the bar, unaware of Greg's observance of him. He did notice Tamara, however and approached cautiously.

"Hey…" he greeted.

"I'm in no mood to talk to you right now, Neal," she said coldly. He sighed.

"Look...I know it was a lot to take in," he replied.

"A lot to take in? You told me that everyone here, including you, are fairy tale characters that came from a magical land and you think that's a lot to take in?" she mocked.

"Yeah...I know what it sounds like, but the truth is the truth," he said, but was met with her silence.

"Fine...you're not ready to talk. I get it. But if you want to, I'm having dinner with my Dad and my kid's family tonight. You're welcome to join," he offered, before leaving her alone.

Greg casually sipped at his coffee, having heard the whole thing and the bell rang, as Regina came into the diner. Greg felt a spark of anger pulse through him and clamped down on his emotions, as she came near.

"You're in my seat," she told the stranger.

"I'm sorry...Miss?" he questioned.

"Mills," Regina answered.

"Mills," Greg parroted.

"Mayor Mills…" she said, as she stopped, realizing that was no longer true.

"Former Mayor Mills…" she corrected herself with obvious irritation.

"I always sit in that seat," she said. Greg smirked and looked directly at her with a bit of smugness.

"But I'm already sitting here," he replied. Her eyes narrowed and she was struck by how familiar this man was.

"Who are you?" she questioned. He shrugged.

"Just a guy passing through your fair town...former Mayor Mills," he responded, as he finished his pie and paid the check, before leaving. Regina was deeply troubled by that. Storybrooke didn't have strangers under her watch and she intended to rake her step-daughter over the coals for it, as she was almost certain Snow was at fault for it. But her attention was then captured by her son sitting with the man that she had come to figure out was Gold's son and more anger swelled inside her. Emma and her parents were no where to be found and had seemingly left her son with this man. She intended to have something to say about it, for she wanted no son of Gold's anywhere near hers.

At that moment, Emma came into the diner and smiled, as Henry waved to her.

"Miss Swan...a moment," Regina growled and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Fine...outside," Emma replied, as the two women went out onto the patio of the diner.

"Do you mind telling me why you felt it's okay to leave my son with some random person?" Regina questioned. Emma rolled her eyes.

"First of all, our son. And ease up on the attitude. Do you think I've forgotten your hand in kidnapping my mother?" the blonde retorted.

"Snow is fine, as usual. Now answer my question," Regina demanded. Emma sighed.

"Neal isn't just some random guy…" she replied.

"He's Gold's son...I don't want him around Henry," Regina snapped. Emma smirked.

"Yeah...I guess you don't know yet, but that's going to be a bit impossible since Neal is Henry's father," Emma replied, enjoying the shock on Regina's face, as she put it all together.

"Yep, that's right. Henry's other grandfather is the Dark One. Believe me, no one was more surprised than me when I found out, but fate is a tricky bitch," Emma said.

"When were you planning to tell me?" Regina demanded to know. Emma shrugged.

"I guess it slipped my mind to mention it after you helped terrorize my mother...again!" Emma shot back. Regina rolled her eyes.

"She's fine, as usual. We're talking about my son," Regina snapped.

"Our son...and our son doesn't want to see you right now, because you kidnapped his grandmother!" Emma snapped back. Regina pursed her lips.

"And you know, despite that, I know my mother and I know she'll forgive you...again. Then you'll spit on her kindness once again and probably try to kill her or my father...again. But you know what, Regina, I'm not sure I'm as forgiving as my mother. So if you really want Henry to want anything to do with you ever again, then I would seriously consider actually trying to be a better person," Emma said.

"I don't need a sanctimonious lecture from you, Miss Swan," Regina growled.

"Fine...do whatever you want. In the end, it's all up to you. We're all a part of Henry's life and for him, we have to work this out. If you hurt people he loves, you hurt him. Right now, he and my mother are the only ones that actually believe you're capable of changing," Emma stated, as she let that sink in.

"After everything you've done, my mother still believes in you and our son still believes in you. So here's the thing: you either prove them right or prove them wrong. It's up to you," Emma said, as she went back into the diner. Regina was deep in thought for a moment, her emotions churning inside her like a volcano. She turned and happened to notice the stranger from earlier parking his car at the Inn and getting out. Her eyes narrowed, as she noticed something hanging from the zipper on his bag. A handmade key chain that suddenly reminded her of...no it couldn't be. Could it? She started around the corner and nearly ran right into Snow at that point. The raven haired beauty almost stumbled over trying not to crash into her and was only steadied by her husband.

"I see you've done a wonderful job as Mayor so far. Just a few weeks and you've already let strangers into our town. I hope the people are happy with your failures," Regina goaded.

"None of that was Snow's fault. How could we know that once the curse broke that it would open up the town barriers?" David retorted.

"Oh of course, nothing is ever precious Snow's fault," Regina snapped, as she stormed off. Snow sighed and he kissed her hair.

"Ignore her...bitterness isn't a new color on her," he said, as they walked into the diner, hand in hand.

"Hey…" Emma greeted, as they came in a bit frantically.

"We found August," Snow announced.

"My boy? He's alive?" Marco asked, as he was sitting nearby. Snow had left him a message, asking him to come the diner and apparently his curiosity had overruled his desire to avoid them.

"Yes, but...he's completely wooden," Snow revealed.

"Apparently he's been living in an abandoned trailer down near the Toll Bridge," David added.

"What can we do? Can we help him?" Emma asked.

"I'm not sure we can, but there might be someone," Snow said.

"It's the Blue Fairy, right Grams?" Henry interjected, as he and Neal had joined them. She smiled.

"That's right Henry…" Snow said.

"Yes, yes, the Blue Fairy. She helped once...she can help again!. She must!" Marco insisted.

"Yeah...considering she helped you lie to us once, I'm sure she'll be willing to help you again," David mentioned.

"Charming…" Snow hissed, as she elbowed him in the ribs.

"I...I know what I did," Marco started to say.

"No, I don't think you do," David retorted.

"August screwed up pretty badly, but it was because of the burden you put on him," the Prince scolded.

"I was scared for my child. Do not tell me you weren't scared for yours!" Marco replied hotly.

"Of course we were! Have you even given any thought to the trauma August went through on his own in this world? Because let me tell you...Snow and I had to hold our daughter every night during most of her childhood while she cried for us, because we couldn't be there for her when she was awake!" David yelled, finally letting out some of the anger he had been bottling since he found out the wardrobe took two.

"Dad…" Emma interjected, as she put herself between him and the elder man.

"It's okay...I'm okay…" she assured him, as he deflated a bit.

"Let's go find and ask the Blue Fairy if she can help August," Emma said. Snow nodded.

"She's right…" Snow said, as they hurried out of the diner. But even Neal remained unaware that Tamara was carefully eavesdropping on the whole conversation and quickly left just after they did.

~*~

As Greg unpacked his things and put them in the dresser drawer in the room he had rented, there was a knock at the door.

"You know, I'm all set on towels...if that's why you're here," he called, thinking it was housekeeping. But there was another knock and he opened it, finding it to be Regina Mills behind the door instead.

"I'm here, because I realized why you look familiar to me. It's because we have met before, haven't we? Owen. I kept this all these years as a reminder of our time together. You were just a boy when you gave this to me," Regina said, as she held up the key chain he made her.

"Now look at you, all grown up. No wonder I didn't recognize you," she added.

"Yeah, but I recognized you, because you look exactly the same, Regina. It's as if no time has passed for you," Greg retorted.

"Monthly juice cleanse. Does wonders for the skin. You could've come to me, Owen. you could've told me who you were and why you're here," Regina replied.

"Well...I think you know why I'm here," Greg stated.

"I honestly don't," Regina refuted, feigning ignorance, which made his blood boil.

"I'm looking for my father," he snapped.

"Your father? He left shortly after you did. I never saw him again," Regina answered.

"I don't believe you," Greg refuted.

"Be that as it may; it's the truth," Regina lied.

"People don't just disappear, Regina," he admonished.

"Scared little boys tend to have overactive imaginations," Regina commented.

"Well, I'm not a scared little boy anymore, Madam Mayor. Oh, I'm sorry...you're no longer the Mayor. That must sting," he goaded. Regina's nostrils flared and she clenched her fist, resisting the urge she had to choke him.

"It's taken me a long time to get back here and I'm not leaving without my father," he warned.

"I'm afraid you are, because he's not here and while I may not be the Mayor anymore, I still have power. I'll let Granny know you'll be checking out tomorrow," Regina threatened.

"Or what?" Greg challenged.

"Contrary to what you might think, people can just disappear," she threatened. Greg watched her go and clenched his fist.

"Not this time, you evil bitch...I swear I'm going to make you pay," Greg growled, as he slammed the door shut.

~*~

August groaned, as there was another knock on his trailer.

"I told you both to leave me alone!" he called with a touch of anger, thinking it was Snow and David again. But the door opened and if his eyes could have widened, they would have.

"Hey. Long time," Tamara greeted ominously...


	63. Who Will Save Your Soul

Chapter 63: Who Will Save Your Soul

Snow and David arrived at the convent with Emma and Marco following them.

"Snow...it's so good to see you!" Nova greeted, as she hugged her, surprising Snow. While they may not have known each other back in the Enchanted Forest, Nova was always one person that had been kind to Mary Margaret before Emma, David, and her mother had entered her life.

"It's good to see you too, Astrid...or I guess it's Nova," Snow replied. The pink fairy nodded.

"We need to see Mother Superior. It's urgent...it's about my boy!" Marco insisted.

"I know about August," Blue announced, as she made her presence known.

"He came to me shortly after the curse broke and asked if I would return him to what he was," Blue stated.

"Why didn't you?" Emma questioned.

"Because what he was is what he is," Blue responded, as she turned to Marco.

"Do you remember the morning I found you on that beach all those years ago? The day I turned your son into a real boy?" she asked.

"Yes. It was the happiest day of my life," Marco answered.

"I told Pinocchio that so long as he remained brave, truthful, and unselfish, he would stay a real boy. But I'm afraid he did not. That is why he changed back and that's why there's nothing I can do for him," she said.

"But...he was just a little boy. The burden put on him was something no child could have coped with. Our own daughter was burdened with things she should have never been charged with either," Snow argued.

"She's right...August made mistakes, but he wasn't placed on that path by choice. The two of you set him up to fail and now there's nothing you can do?" David asked, as his anger threatened to boil over. Snow put a hand on his chest and tried to calm him.

"He made mistakes. I made a lot of them too. I got lucky to have the dreamscape, but August didn't have any of that. Doesn't he deserve a second chance?" Emma asked.

"If there is still a path of redemption for August, it is one that he must travel on his own. No one can force him or it will not be true," Blue responded.

"Yeah...he made mistakes and he lied. But so did the two of you! Why is he the only one that's paying for it?" David questioned.

"Charming please…" Snow pleaded, as she put both hands on his chest. He sighed and deflated a bit, but the frustration was still clear on his face.

"There is still hope...there has to be," Snow insisted, as she took his hand and led him out of the convent. Emma and Marco followed, as they were intent on finding August now. Snow didn't know if talking to him again would do any good, but she wasn't giving up.

~*~

Tamara wrinkled her nose, as she looked around at the meager living space.

"Not much of a decorator. Then again, I guess a man made of wood doesn't require much," she commented.

"You can see me? You believe?" August questioned.

"Do you think I would have chased down someone called the Dragon if I didn't?" she retorted.

"I don't understand. What are you doing in Storybrooke. How is that even possible?" he asked.

"What I'm doing in Storybrooke doesn't concern you. But I need you to do something. And after what you pulled in Hong Kong, you owe me," she responded.

"What could I ever do for you?" he inquired.

"Leave. It's a simple request, considering what I'm about to offer you," she answered.

"No...you're going to explain this. Did you follow me? Are you like me?" he demanded to know.

"Magical? No...I'm quite human. But forget for a second why I'm here and who I am and instead ask yourself the more important question, which is how? My cancer was a death sentence. Yet...here I am," she reminded.

"The Dragon. The liquid in the bottle...it worked," he realized.

"It cured me, August. And it can cure you too. I still have some of it left. The bottle is in my apartment in New York. You can go get it. All I ask...is that you leave Storybrooke and never return," she requested. That's when August realized exactly who she was.

"Neal...you're the fiancee. Are you and Neal here for the magic? Are you trying to steal the magic from Storybrooke?" August questioned.

"Neal has nothing to do with any of this. He knows as much as you do. Actually, you know a lot more now. So...do we have a deal?" she asked.

"I can't leave without knowing what you're doing here," August refuted.

"Sure you can...and you will. You're the same man I left in a Hong Kong gutter...a man willing to do anything to save himself. And that's what I'm offering, August," she stated, as she tossed him her keys.

"Salvation," she offered. August looked at the keys and then back at her. The urge to run and never look back was very strong, but then so was his guilt. He looked at her and made his decision.

~*~

"You are right, Your Highness...this is my fault," Marco finally admitted, as they trekked passed the Toll Bridge. Things had been silent since they entered the woods and they knew much contemplation had taken place in that silence.

"No arguments here," David agreed.

"Putting Emma through the wardrobe is a decision that has haunted us since we did it," Snow said, as they stopped and she turned to him.

"We have just had more time to lament and come to grips with our decision, because of the dreamscape. I know that you are only beginning to realize the ramifications of what you did," Snow stated.

"When I found out I could have gone with her...I was very angry at you and I cried for what we lost. I wondered how much worse it could have been if we didn't have the dreamscape," she continued.

"There is no apology I could give that could ever make up for what I did. But I am so sorry," he said.

"I forgive you," Snow said, as she glanced at her husband and he sighed. He looked at Emma and she nodded, telling him it was okay; that she was okay.

"And I forgive you as well," David added, as they shook hands. Snow smiled, glad that things were coming a resolve between them. Things likely would never be the same between them, but she knew they were both ready to let go of their anger at him.

"Our children have been burdened long enough. We have our daughter back and now it's time to get your son back," Snow said, as they continued on.

"And I will be forever grateful and humbled by your incredible kindness, Princess. It is not something I will ever forget," Marco said sincerely.

"You are amazing, you know that, right?" David whispered to her. She gently leaned against him, relishing his arm around her.

"I can forgive, because I have your love...and Emma's," she said.

"And I can too, because I have you and Emma as well," he agreed, as he pressed a kiss to her lips.

"You two seriously can't go five minutes without kissing, can you?" Emma chimed in, lightening the mood, as they chuckled.

"You should know that by now, Em," David teased, as they arrived at the trailer.

"August?" Snow called, as she opened the door and peered in.

"August?" she called again, but they found the trailer empty.

"He's gone…" Snow said, as they exchanged glances and all wondered where he might have gone.

~*~

Persephone pounded on the door of the mansion that once belonged to Deimos.

"Hades...open this door now! We need to talk!" she demanded. Inside, Hades smirked knowingly. He knew she wouldn't be able to stay away and that she would come, if only for the reason to yell at him.

"No need to shout, my love...my home is your home," he said, as he waved his hand and it opened.

"Forgive the magical protections I put in place, but as the God of the Underworld in the land of the living, one cannot be too careful," he added.

"You always were paranoid," she commented, as she stormed in and came face to face with him. He raised his hand, as if he was reaching to caress her cheek and she batted his hand away. This would have once incited fury from him, but now it was just met with an amused chuckle. This confused her greatly. She refused to believe that he had changed so much since she had left.

"What can I do for you today, my Queen?" he questioned, as he poured himself another drink.

"I am here to make sure you don't undo the trappings I placed Deimos in," Persephone stated.

"I know the great lengths you went to in order to obtain Prometheus' chains to protect Snow. I wouldn't think of doing such," he responded.

"I don't believe you," she accused.

"I know...and your distrust in me is not only understandable, but warranted. I've done terrible things," Hades replied.

"You sent that monster after my baby girl...knowing full well what he intended for her," she growled.

"And when Snow and David found a way to kill him, you went to superior lengths to see that he was revived! You made sure he was cursed and brought here!" she shouted.

"Yes...my actions were deplorable, to say the least. I used Ares and sacrificed his better son to revive his monstrous one. If I could go back...I would undo it," he responded.

"And why should I believe that? You keep telling me you have changed and that you have seen the error of your ways. But I see none of it," Persephone refuted.

"He didn't release Deimos the moment he got here...that should tell you something," Hermes chimed in and then he choked, as Persephone silenced him.

"Reminding me of your presence isn't wise, worm," she hissed. Hermes chuckled, as she released him.

"Still sore about the price I made you pay for allowing you to have those chains?" he goaded, as the golden bough appeared in his hand and he tossed it at her feet.

"Have it back...it's useless to me. Besides, my Lord has revived your mortal Prince. Yet...you have made no effort to gaze upon him again or go to him," Hermes stated. Persephone glared at him.

"My place is with my daughter...here," she shot back, as she went back to ignoring him.

"It's just as well," Hades muttered.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she demanded to know.

"It's of no consequence…" he replied cryptically. But her eyes narrowed.

"No...I know you. We've been married for centuries and you're hiding something from me!" she cried.

"You're right...I am, but not for the reasons you think. I'm not hiding this to hurt you...I'm hiding it to protect you. And your family," he insisted. She scoffed.

"You are unbelievable...do you think I'm a complete moron?" she questioned.

"Of course not…" he snapped back, as they stared at each other, until he finally spoke again.

"I know that I have given you no reason to trust anything I say and that my sudden change is puzzling. But I am going to prove myself to you," he promised.

"Well, I'd say it would be a cold day in the Underworld when I believe that. But since I already know it's a frigid climate there, I won't use that euphemism," she retorted. He chuckled.

"So witty...I have missed that," he mused. She rolled her eyes.

"Your attempts to charm me are futile...you never were very good at it," she said.

"You can't talk to the King of the Underworld like that! You should be on your knees thanking him for not obliterating you and that precious little family for your constant betrayal!" Hermes said angrily, but Hades put his hand up.

"Enough…" he ordered.

"But my Lord…" he protested.

"I said enough! She is my wife...my equal and it is long past time that I actually started treating her as such," Hades snapped. Hermes looked confused and stunned by this, as did Persephone. But she quickly covered those emotions with a mask of indifference.

"I'm going to find out what is going on with you and what supposedly happened in the Underworld…" she warned.

"I hope not...it will only cause you pain. What really matters is the here and now," he responded. Persephone let out a frustrated yell.

"You are so infuriating!" she complained and he smiled slightly, as he watched her stomp around the room. She was even more beautiful when she was angry.

"News flash, I don't need you to protect me, so if you're not going to be straight with me and insist on playing your mind games, then I'm leaving," she said, as she pointed her finger at him.

"And I will say this one more time. Stay away from my family," she ordered, before looking to Hermes.

"And if your worm of a minion comes anywhere within twenty feet of my little Snow, Charming, Emma, or Henry...you'll be scraping him off the pavement after I get done with him," she warned. Anger at her burned in him, but he also gulped visibly, mostly because he knew she'd squash him in an instant if provoked. Hades chuckled and she rolled her eyes.

"Are you laughing at me?" she asked dangerously.

"No...no...I'm just imagining Hermes as a flat as a pancake on the pavement. Thank you for the mental image," he joked. The look on Hermes' face was both indignant and offended.

"Forgive me, my Lord, but I do not find that funny," he protested, but Hades only shrugged.

"We all know that I have a bit of a sadistic sense of humor," he countered.

"Finally something we agree on," Persephone huffed, before she disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke. This was followed by Zelena appearing in a puff of green smoke.

"Well, she certainly is spunky. I suppose I see why you were drawn to her," the redhead commented. Hades chuckled.

"Jealous?" he challenged and she scoffed.

"Hardly...she can have you. I have much bigger ambitions. I do want to be Queen...but certainly not Queen of the Underworld," Zelena responded. Hades shrugged.

"You must tread lightly for now. We do not even know if Snow White is with child or not yet," he reminded.

"No, but she soon will be if she isn't already. Those two are purely nauseating. I can see why my sister detests them so," Zelena retorted, as Hades went out into the garden.

"My Lord...what are you doing?" Hermes asked.

"I was thinking of planting a garden," Hades answered, as a large garden full of snowdrops sprouted forth from the soil and Hades smiled.

"I have not made anything grow in a very long time...I forgot how satisfying it can be," he mentioned. Zelena rolled her eyes and Hermes looked at him like he had gone insane.

"Are you seriously trying to woo her?" she questioned.

"Well, I didn't before so I thought I would try it," he responded.

"Just don't forget our plan. I can't have you going completely soft on me," Zelena snapped.

"Relax...I know that Persephone will never love me at this point. But if I can go back and do things a bit differently, I know she will see things differently then," he replied.

"My Lord...when I left the Underworld, you wanted to make Persephone pay. I do not understand your sudden desire for her again," Hermes stated.

"I told you...things have changed," Hades snapped back.

"What happened in the Underworld?" Zelena questioned curiously.

"That's my business," he hissed, as he strode back inside, leaving them both a bit confused.

~*~

August sped past the town line and picked up speed, as he hit the open road. The car was jarred though, as he hit a rather large pothole. The bump caused a photo of Tamara and her grandmother to fall from the visor and onto the passenger seat. August slammed on the brakes and the car came to a screeching halt. He stared at the photo and realized that everything Tamara had ever told him was a lie.

There was no cancer. There never had been. It was Tamara that had murdered the Dragon. He never knew who had killed the old Sorcerer, but now it all made sense. She had done it and taken back her picture. He turned the car around and then started back toward Storybrooke. But again, he slammed on the brakes and cried out in fright, as a man stood in the road. And it wasn't just any man that blocked his path. It was the Dragon...alive and well. August stumbled out of the car and pointed at him.

"You…" he uttered.

"Hello August...or should I say Pinocchio," he greeted.

"How...how are you alive?" August questioned.

"I have my ways…" the Dragon answered cryptically.

"Why are you here?" August asked.

"To help you…" the Dragon offered, as he produced a potion from his robes.

"I didn't have ten-thousand dollars a year ago and I certainly don't have it now," August refuted.

"And I am not interested in money as payment this time. I help you and you help me," the Dragon responded.

"Why would you need my help?" August asked.

"Many years ago...I lost my daughter and I need help to find her," he replied.

"And you think I can help you do that?" August questioned.

"You located Emma and Baelfire fairly easily after having years of no contact with them. You are a resourceful young man," the Dragon stated.

"Fine...but just who are you? How are you able to create magic in a land with none?" August questioned. The old mage smirked.

"I will tell you all you want to know in good time, my boy," he responded.

"I need to tell Emma about Tamara. I think she's going to try to destroy magic, though I can't begin to tell you how she thinks she can do that," August replied.

"Storybrooke will be fine...the Savior will discover Tamara's treachery in due time. If you want this potion, then you must come with me now," the Dragon said, as he snatched his phone.

"Hey...give that back!" August called, as he started to walk toward him, but his leg caught and he fell to the ground in pain.

"Okay...please, just give me the potion!" he pleaded. The Dragon popped the cork on it and poured the potion down the wooden man's throat. His entire body glowed with pink magic and he felt relief, as he was turned human again. He looked at the man in awe, as he felt real flesh again. He sighed, as he got to his feet. He felt guilty for abandoning Storybrooke, but a deal was a deal.

"Does your daughter have a name?" August questioned. The Dragon nodded curtly.

"Circe," he answered. August sighed.

"And wouldn't someone like Circe still be in a place like the Enchanted Forest? Say near Mount Olympus?" he questioned.

"She is no longer there and there are great many reasons why. She is here in this world now, but that is all I know," the Dragon replied.

"Yeah...something tells me that's not all you know," August said, as they got back into the car.

"Where to?" he asked.

"New York City," the Dragon answered.

~*~

"Where could he have gotten to?" Marco fretted, as they returned to the diner.

"I'm not sure...but we'll find him. That's one thing this family is pretty good at," David replied. Tamara was sitting close by and smirked at the Prince's words. Once August had that potion, she was positive they would never hear from him again, no matter how good they were at supposedly finding people.

"Yeah...I know August though. If he doesn't want to be found...then he won't be," Neal warned.

"But if he's completely wooden now, then he couldn't have gone far," Snow reasoned.

"Neal could be right...he is completely wooden now. He doesn't need food or other necessities that a human does. Hiding is a lot easier for him in his state," Emma said, as Snow deflated a bit at that. David put his arm around her and pulled he close. She sighed and felt herself stumble a bit.

"Whoa...are you okay?" David asked, as he kept her from falling.

"I'm fine...just lost my balance there for a second," Snow replied. But he didn't look convinced.

"Really...we ate breakfast kind of late so I skipped lunch. I probably just need something to eat," she said.

"Yeah...and some water too. Hey Ruby?" David called.

"Already on it," the waitress called, as they found a booth and David prodded her into it.

"You know, we never did let a doctor look at you after you were kidnapped. Maybe we should," he mentioned.

"No...honey, I'm fine. I'm just starving and after a good meal, I'm sure I'll be fine," she insisted.

"Then we can keep looking for August," Snow insisted. But Marco sat down dejectedly.

"No...your daughter is right. If my boy does not want to be found...then he won't be," Marco said sadly.

"Don't lose hope, Marco. Maybe August just needs time to come to terms with everything," Snow said encouragingly. But it didn't seem to help the older man much.

"I'll take him home," Archie offered, as he stepped in, having been waiting at the diner for them to return. They nodded, as the two men left, just as Rumple, Belle, and Jefferson arrived.

"No luck with the puppet?" Jefferson asked.

"No...he's hiding again. We're not sure where he is now and I'm not sure he wants to be found," David replied.

"August has to know how much his father misses him. I just don't understand why he would do this to him," Snow fretted.

"August is selfish...and probably ashamed. He should be. I should have never let him call in that anonymous tip that sent Emma to jail. It's one of my biggest regrets," Neal admitted. His admitting of that definitely made an impression on Snow and she glanced at her daughter, who was at the counter getting their drinks.

"Thank you for saying that, Neal," she said. He shrugged.

"It's the truth," he said, as he patted Henry on the shoulder and then went to talk to Tamara.

"So...did you meet Tamara?" Belle asked curiously. Snow nodded.

"We did...Emma introduced us as her parents. Which was really great, albeit awkward for someone like Tamara," Snow replied.

"Yeah...I don't think she quite believed that we could actually be her parents," David added.

"I'm sure it will just take time. I suppose all of this would be a lot for a person that believes we're all just characters in fiction. It is really strange to think about," Belle mentioned.

"Which is why this whole thing is pointless," Rumple said.

"Why do you say that? Aren't you a bit eager to meet your son's fiance?" David asked. Rumple looked indifferent, as usual.

"Perhaps I would be if my son wasn't still carrying a torch for your daughter," Rumple replied.

"What?" David questioned, as he looked confused. But Snow wasn't even a little surprised.

"Yeah and Emma's not really over him either, as much as she tries to deny it," Snow added and Charming look at his wife in disbelief.

"I knew it! So my parents should get back together!" Henry chimed in.

"Whoa kid...I think we need to keep any of that kind of talk to ourselves. We shouldn't meddle with things between your parents," David reasoned.

"I think David is right...this is something they have to figure out themselves," Belle agreed.

"There is nothing wrong with giving them both a little nudge into at least realizing that there are still feeling there. If anything, it's not fair to Tamara if Neal really does still have feelings for Emma," Snow countered.

"I'm inclined to agree with Snow," Rumple agreed.

"Hey...what are you guys talking about?" Neal asked, as he arrived at the table with Tamara.

"Nothing," David stated.

"The weather...it's unseasonably cold today for April," Belle mentioned pleasantly.

"Yes...my mother isn't in a very good mood today," Snow added.

"Can you blame her?" Rumple asked and Snow shook her head in agreement.

"What does the weather have to do with your mother?" Tamara asked in confusion.

"Oh...well, my mother is...happens to be...Persephone," Snow stammered in response. Tamara raises an eyebrow.

"Like the Queen of the Underworld?" Tamara asked skeptically. Snow swallowed nervously and nodded.

"She is," Snow confirmed.

"And she controls the weather?" Tamara questioned, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm.

"She doesn't really control it...her emotions can influence it though, right?" Neal chimed in, trying to explain. Snow bit her lip and nodded.

"That's right," she confirmed.

"So...it's April and in the fifties back home in New York. But here we're all freezing our asses off, because your Mom is in a bad mood?" Tamara questioned shortly.

"Babe…" Neal started to say, but she stopped him by putting her hand up.

"No Neal...I've been trying to get my head around all this, but it's too much! I mean, are you really expecting me to believe I'm standing here talking to some fairytale Princess? And that she's the daughter of some Goddess from a myth we learned about in High School?" Tamara questioned, as she looked back at them. Rumple rolled his eyes and then started to purposely make the lights flicker.

"Rumple…" Belle scolded.

"She doesn't believe...perhaps the only way to get her to is to show her," he responded.

"That's what I've been saying!" Henry complained. Rumple smirked in amusement.

"And as usual, you were right, Henry," he agreed.

"So now you want me to believe that you're making the lights flicker, because there could be a million different explanations for that," Tamara refuted.

"You're right...that was a mere parlor trick. But this isn't," Gold hissed, as she disappeared. Neal looked around frantically.

"Papa...what the hell?" he cried.

"Relax Bae...I'll bring her back in a minute. I merely magicked her back to New York City...the top of the Empire State building to be exact. Belle was reading about that last evening, if I recall?" he said, looking at her. She nodded.

"Glad to know you were paying attention," she deadpanned, as Tamara reappeared and cried out as she did. Her eyes were wide in shock and disbelief.

"That...that couldn't…" she stammered, but didn't finish her sentence.

"It was as real as any of us are, dearie," he responded. Neal scrubbed a hand over his face.

"Really? Do you really think that helped?" he scolded.

"Well, she's seen that magic is real now so now there is no longer any question," Rumple stated. Neal was about to continue his tirade, but Tamara put her hand on his arm.

"It's okay Neal...I am a logical person that requires evidence and so he gave it to me," she stated, as she eyed them all with scrutiny.

"I...I think I need to take some time and process all this," she stammered, as she went back over to the Inn side.

"She looked like someone just scared five years off her life," Emma commented, as she brought drinks over from the counter.

"My father, in his infinite wisdom, just gave her a magical demonstration by poofing her to New York and back," Neal said in irritation. Emma's mouth hung open for a minute and then she looked to where Tamara had retreated.

"Guess that cat is out of the bag," she murmured. Neal looked torn as to whether or not he should go after her. He was realizing, not for the first time, that he wanted to be there with his son and the people that were his family. He realized that they were becoming his family too and if Tamara couldn't accept them...then he wasn't sure what the future held for them.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Neal. She just needs time to process all of this," Belle assured. Neal nodded and looked at his son, who obviously was eager for him to join them. So he did and put his problems with Tamara out of his mind for the moment...


	64. Flaws

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 164: Flaws

After leaving the Inn and threatening Owen, or Greg Mendell, as he was now calling himself, Regina sat despondently in her car, across from the diner. She knew it would only cause her pain and sure enough, it did, as she watched him come out of the diner with his family, beaming from ear to ear. She still couldn't believe it. Rumpelstiltskin's son and Snow White's daughter were the birth parents of her precious Henry. Fate certainly did have a sadistic sense of humor. She longed for the days before the curse was broken, before David Nolan was awake and Mary Margaret was a lonely, miserable wallflower, and before Emma Swan. Before all that, there had been a time where she and Henry were very happy; a time when she was all he ever needed. But those times were gone and she had been brainstorming on ways to get them back. However, Jefferson had been right about what he told her just a few months ago. The changes that Emma had brought couldn't just be undone. There was no putting back this open can of worms now, no matter how much she wished it.

Earlier that day, she had gone through her mother's things and found a written curse tucked away in one of her gowns. She knew her mother had meant for her to find this particular curse. It was the curse of the empty-hearted. In theory, it had the power to make someone think they loved you. She had instantly thought about using it on Henry, but the price was that she needed the heart of the person she hated most. It was brilliant, theoretically and exactly the thing her mother would leave her. If enacted, this curse would give her Henry and get her vengeance on Snow. But it was an impossible feat. Getting Snow's blood had been difficult enough and that had been with Hermes' help. Her heart...that was a different story entirely. While Persephone could not protect Snow twenty-four hours a day, she was on extra high alert with Hades in town. Which meant that it was likely that she had placed all kinds of protection spells on and around her daughter and family, ones they might not even been aware of. And with protection spells naturally came the one that prevented a heart rip. Regina's magic was powerful, but knew it was really no match for Persephone's.

"Thank you Mother...but unfortunately, it isn't meant to be," she muttered sadly, as she watched the dwarves drive up in David's truck. They got out and tossed the keys to the Prince, before heading into the diner with the former giant. That was odd, indeed, and she wondered what it was all about.

Curiously, she got out of her car once they left and using her magic, she enchanted the road to show her the tire tracks. With that, Regina followed them out into the outskirts of town and found that they ended in an empty field. She got out of the car and found a barrier spell was in place and not one that was strong enough to be Persephone's. In fact, if she had to guess, it was probably a fairy spell. She waved her hand and revealed what the field was hiding. She was shocked to see a full crop of beans...magic beans. She pursed her lips and confiscated a pod that had two beans in it. Perhaps getting revenge on Snow wasn't possible, but maybe getting Henry back could be with these beans...

~*~

Henry bounded into the loft, as they arrived home that evening. Neal was with them, as Emma had agreed to allow him to come tuck Henry in.

"Thanks for letting me come...I know this all still pretty weird," he mentioned. She shrugged.

"You're Henry's dad and he loves you. I only want him to be happy," she replied.

"Hey Gramps...if we're not going back to the Enchanted Forest, then why is Tiny and the dwarves growing the beans?" Henry asked curiously.

"Well...Tiny offered to grow them for us and while we may have decided that Storybrooke is our home now, we also decided that as leaders, it's only right that we offer others a way to leave if they want to," David explained.

"Yeah...and since leaving Storybrooke for others requires spells that aren't easy to replicate, we decided that we could offer this choice instead," Snow added.

"Do you think that if there is enough beans someday that we can visit the Enchanted Forest and then come home?" he asked, looking at his parents. Emma and Neal exchanged a glance.

"Uh...I don't know. But I guess it's something we could definitely talk about," Emma said with uncertainty.

"Yeah...but for now, I think we should get you ready for bed," Neal interjected. Henry nodded.

"Wanna see my comic book collection?" Henry asked excitedly. Neal smiled.

"Sure kid...let's go up and see. You know, I have a pretty good stack myself back in New York. We'll have to compare someday," he mentioned.

"That would be awesome. Mom...do you think we could all go to New York? Grams and Gramps too? Henry asked. Emma smiled.

"Ah well...if things keep calm around here, maybe that trip can happen soon," she agreed tentatively. Neal ruffled his hair.

"Let's go look at those comic books," Neal said.

"For a little while and then brush your teeth and get ready for bed," Emma called, as he bounded upstairs to the loft with Neal following. Emma sighed and Snow went to the kitchen.

"How about some cocoa?" she asked. Emma smiled and nodded, as she sat at the island.

"That sounds great, Mom," she agreed. The loft door opened and Persephone walked through. She shed her coat and hung it up, before joining them in the kitchen.

"Cocoa?" Snow asked. She smiled.

"If you spike it with vodka," she replied. Snow frowned and put the milk down.

"So it was a bad day? I figured considering it's about thirty degrees in April," Snow mentioned. Persephone smiled thinly.

"I'm sorry about that...I've never been very good at controlling my emotions when it comes to Hades...or you for that matter," she responded.

"You confronted him, didn't you?" Emma asked. She nodded.

"I had to...I had to make sure that he's not here to undo the trappings I placed Deimos in," she replied.

"And is he?" David asked.

"He says he isn't...he says he has no intention of releasing him," she answered.

"But you don't believe him," Snow guessed.

"I'm not sure what to believe anymore. Hermes is obviously just as confused by his behavior and even I have to admit that he's...different," Persephone replied.

"Different how?" David asked curiously.

"In many ways. For instance, my constant disdain and defiance of him is usually met with anger. But now he just seems amused by me," Persephone replied.

"That is kind of strange," Emma mentioned.

"And it gets stranger...I think something happened in the Underworld," Persephone said.

"Like what?" David asked. She shrugged.

"I don't know, that's the thing. He says that something happened and that he's protecting me...us by not telling me. Which sounds like his usual load of crap...but I don't know…" Persephone said, as she tried to put it into words.

"I've known him a very long time...I've been married to him for centuries and it's like...he's a different person. I just don't know what to think," she lamented.

"Is there any way you might be able to find out what happened there without asking him?" Emma questioned.

"Short of going there...I'm not sure. I should probably speak to my mother though," she replied.

"Do you think she might come here?" Snow asked curiously. Persephone smiled.

"I know she wants and now that Hades is here, I wouldn't be surprised if she finds a way here. She was the second person that held you, you know," Persephone said, as she took her cup and went up to the loft. Snow smiled, as she watched her go and David pressed a kiss to her hair. Snow served their cocoa and Emma sipped at hers, just as Neal came down the stairs.

"He brushed his teeth and he's all tucked in. Thanks again for letting me do that," he said, as they eyes met. She smiled.

"Henry's pretty stoked about having you in his life...and I promise that we'll work out some sort of custody thing. It's just complicated...with Regina and everything," Emma replied. But he held up his hands.

"Emma...no pressure. He's in good hands with you and your parents," he assured. She nodded.

"You know we need to talk about this though. I mean...the kid would love nothing more than for you to move here to Storybrooke," she mentioned. He nodded.

"I know...and it's something Tamara and I have to talk about. She's...not going to want to move here," he replied.

"And neither do you," Emma realized.

"I honestly don't know. When I first came here, that would have been a hard no. But now...I mean Henry is here and suddenly there is a lot less to leave behind in New York than I remember, save for Tamara, of course," he replied. She nodded.

"I get it…" she said. He sighed.

"Whatever happens...I promise that Henry's not going to get hurt," he said. She smiled thinly.

"That's what matters," she agreed, as she saw him out.

"That was tense," David muttered, as he slid his arms around Snow from behind.

"Yes…" she said sadly.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I just...what if Neal does go back to New York? I'm not sure I like the idea of Henry not being here in town sometimes," she replied.

"Me either...but I'm not sure his grandparents get a say, my darling," he said. She sighed and put their cups in the sink.

Meanwhile, Emma saw Neal out and realized that he had dropped a card on the steps.

"Hey...you dropped this…" she said, as she trailed off and looked at the card.

"Oh...that's nothing," he insisted, as he snatched it away.

"Nothing? Because it looks like something," Emma replied, with a note of anger.

"Emma…" he started to explain.

"Calyn Barlos...Family Attorney at law? That's nothing?" she questioned.

"She's a friend of Tamara's and she gave me the card, but I never had any intention of making that call," he assured. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Emma...I wouldn't do that to our son! I know how much he loves his family and Storybrooke," he insisted.

"I hope for your sake that's true. People can't find out about this town, Neal. Tamara knows that, right? She knows what could happen if people knew about this place," she argued.

"Of course she knows...this was before I told her everything. She's not going to do anything to put Storybrooke in danger," he insisted. Emma sighed.

"I really hope you're right," she replied. He sighed and tore up the card to hopefully satisfy her.

"I don't need it, so it's gone," he assured, as he went down the stairs and Emma went back inside. She saw her parents in the kitchen and her mother giggled at something her father was whispering in her ear.

"Honey...are you okay?" Snow asked. Emma put on a smile for them.

"Yeah...I'm fine. I think I'll go tuck the kid in and go to bed myself," she replied, as she hurried upstairs. They frowned.

"I don't think she's okay at all," Snow fretted.

"Definitely not...but you know Em. She'll come to us when she's ready. I think this is one of those times that it will be best not to push," he admonished. She sighed. She knew she did that a lot, but it was only because she wanted to solve all her daughter's problems. But she knew that she couldn't and that his approach was right in this instance. Whatever was between Neal and Emma had to be hashed out between them. They could be there to comfort her and give her advice, but only when she came to them. So she would reluctantly take her husband's lead on this one.

"You're right...I do push too much," she agreed. He kissed her cheek.

"She knows it's because you love her so much. And I promise that she'll come to us. She always does," he assured, as he took her hand and led her to their bed. He sat down and pulled her down into his lap.

"I think bed is a very good idea for us too right now," he purred. She smiled and kissed him.

"I agree...but I hope not just to sleep?" she asked coyly. He smirked and pulled the curtains around their bed.

"Oh no...never just to sleep, my love," he agreed, as their lips met again.

As their lips parted, Snow bit her bottom lip and started unbuttoning his shirt. He shed it and let it fall to the floor, before kissing her again. She mewled, as his lips trailed down her slender neck and she gasped, as he cupped her breasts. Her hands went to his belt and she undid it, as their lips parted and he grabbed the hem of her shirt, before pulling it over her head. Her skirt was next and he hooked his arm around her waist, as he slid them up the bed, allowing her head to fall to the pillow. They smiled at each other and the tossed the covers up and over them, as they gave way to their unbridled passion...

~*~

The dream started out quite pleasant. The scene was in his shop with Henry blowing out birthday candles. He, Belle, Snow, and Charming looked on and clapped like the proud grandparents that they were. Emma and Neal clapped as well, with Neal putting his hands on his boy's shoulders and Emma doting on him, before going to cut the cake.

"And now, my boy, for your birthday present. Pick one object from the shop. Anything you like," Gold offered. Henry walked around looking for something and then stopped, as he pointed at the wands.

"That," Henry stated, as he picked up a wand and waved it around.

"Alright, careful buddy. Wands are powerful," Neal warned. Henry turned to Mr. Gold.

"So...how does it work?" he asked.

"Here...let me show you," Rumple replied, as Henry handed the wand to him. Mr. Gold waved it through the air for a moment and then suddenly turned Henry into a ceramic statue with a flick of his wrist. The others present in the shop cried out in terror.

"Gold...why would you do that?!" David demanded to know.

"The Prophecy. The seer said the boy would be my undoing. So I have no choice...I must be his," Rumple answered, as he took his cane and shattered the statue.

~*~

Rumpelstiltskin jolted awake and sat up in bed, as he breathed heavily, with the dream still weighing heavily on him. Truthfully, he hadn't thought about that prophecy in a very long time. But now that he had his son back, he recalled the seer's foreboding warning; that a boy would be his undoing. Fate certainly was a tricky bitch, for in all his foresight, he had never imagined that the boy he had vowed to destroy so long ago would be his own grandson. If the prophecy was to be believed, then his own mortality could be tied to Henry's existence. But if he were to do the unthinkable, then Belle would shun him. She'd never forgive such an atrocity, nor would the others, obviously. And while that had never stopped him before, it made him pause now. He rather liked the life they had now. He had love now. He still had power. He had family and friends once again. But at the same time, if he died, then he would lose that. However, if he killed Henry, his own flesh and blood, then he would lose everyone in his life, not to mention, quite possibly what was left of his darkened soul. Yes...fate was quite the sadist. But perhaps this was one prophecy that he could thwart. After all, the visions of the future weren't always exactly clear.

In a way, he had become a much different version of himself; much like the man he had once been before power. Did he dare hope that the supposed unmaking of him could be more metaphorical than literal? Did he dare entertain that notion? Family and friends had certainly made him softer. He actually did things for them without making deals now. There was no quid pro quo anymore really. He offered help and in turn they had helped him; in fact far more than he had ever thought non-magical persons could.

Regardless of these musings though, Rumple knew that killing his own flesh and blood would cost him everything he now held dear in his life. At the same time, the possibility of his own demise still frightened him deeply as well. He decided that there likely would be no more sleeping tonight and he quietly left the bed so as not to disturb Belle. He proceeded down to the basement. Perhaps things would become more clear after spinning for a while.

~*~

"He did what?!" Greg exclaimed, as they walked along the darkened streets of Storybrooke.

"I'm surprised too...it was so blatant, which proves that they can't hide it. This town is lousy with magic," Tamara confirmed.

"He actually, like teleported you back to New York?" Greg asked in disbelief. She nodded.

"In a puff of smoke, I was suddenly at the top of the Empire State Building and in another puff of smoke, I was back in the diner. But that's not all I found out," she replied, as she pulled out a piece of paper.

"Neal made this for me to try and help me come to terms with this place," she said, as she handed him the piece of paper.

"He actually handed you their identities?" he asked with a snort.

"I know...he's making this too easy. But he trusts me," she replied.

"Snow White and Prince Charming?" he asked. She nodded.

"Emma Swan's parents. He's her deputy and her pixie haired mother is the new Mayor," she answered. He snorted again.

"And it gets better," she added.

"Does it? Did you send this to the Home Office?" he asked. She nodded.

"Already done...they're going to bursting at the seams to mobilize with all this information," she replied.

"What else did you find?" he asked.

"Well...this thirty degree weather isn't just an unfortunate cold snap from the remainder of winter. It's Persephone doing this. I overheard Snow White say her mother wasn't in a good mood today and that's why it's cold. Apparently her emotions can affect the weather; more evidence that magic is evil," Tamara informed.

"Wait...Snow White's mother is Persephone? As in Queen of the Underworld?" Greg asked. She nodded.

"Apparently so…" she responded.

"That wasn't in the Disney version," he joked.

"Wait...does that mean her father is Hades?" he asked. Tamara shrugged.

"I don't know...but Hades himself is here. It's the reason Persephone's mood is quite sour or so I heard," she replied.

"I knew this town was an abomination...but even more so than we thought," he mentioned.

"Don't worry...with this information, I'm certain the Home Office will soon be ready to make a move," she replied.

"Does Neal suspect anything?" Greg questioned.

"Not a thing," she confirmed.

"You're sure?" he questioned again.

"Don't worry about Neal...I'll handle him. Any luck finding your dad?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No...but I know he's here. I'm sure of it," Greg responded.

"We will find him," she assured.

"I know. But one thing at a time. Were you able to get the package here?" he asked. She nodded.

"I did...and we have a deal, but he went and complicated things," she replied.

"What do you mean?" Greg asked.

"I told him to be a nuisance, but he went a step further and got himself arrested. When the time comes, if we expect him to work for us, we'll have to break him out. That won't be easy with Emma Swan and her father running the Sheriff's station," Tamara replied. He smirked.

"Perhaps we'll have to create some distractions for them since our one handed friend isn't available," he responded. She smirked and kissed him.

"Good thinking…" she agreed.

"So now what?" he asked. She shrugged.

"We wait to hear from the Home Office. In the meantime, we can continue to search this town for your father," she replied, as he kissed her again and they headed back to the Inn.

~*~

Jefferson pulled back from looking through his telescope and was startled by what he had seen. He had been unknowingly keeping an eye on their visitor that had crashed into town. He didn't trust Greg Mendell and didn't like that he hadn't made his way out of town yet. And apparently his mistrust was warranted, in more ways than one. He needed to talk to Gold and David first thing in the morning. Because not only did their stranger, Greg Mendell, know this Tamara, but she was cheating on Neal with him. And he had been in this town long enough to know that it was likely there was even more to it than that. Even if there wasn't though, Neal still deserved to know that his fiance was obviously lying to him, probably about a great many things…

Morning dawned in Storybrooke, bringing about a new day. The April weather prevailed and the temperature was decidedly more tolerable that day, having risen twenty-five degrees already. Henry took that opportunity to fill Snow's bird feeders for her in the small garden, just outside the apartment building. He had an appreciation for the flora and fauna like she did, which should have been no surprise, given his roots and connection to Persephone.

~*~

"Good morning, Henry," Regina greeted.

"Um...what are you doing here?" the boy asked.

"I've missed you and I wanted to show you something," Regina replied, as she took something out of her pocket.

"Your family has been keeping this from you, darling. They've been growing magic beans in secret," she said. Henry shrugged.

"It's not really a secret. Gramps just said that we shouldn't tell people in case the beans don't grow. And anyway, I kind of guessed, because Tiny is here and he's a giant," Henry responded.

"So...they did tell you," she muttered.

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal. Mom Emma says that Storybrooke is our home now. And Grams and Gramps agreed with her. I think they just want to give other people a choice," Henry responded.

"Henry...I'm not sure you can trust that. With Hades here, your family may want to take you away. They may try to take you away and leave me behind," Regina said.

"No! That's not true! I asked them and they told me it was for others if they want to leave. Mom Emma said we might take a family trip to New York, but then we'd come home, here to Storybrooke," he refuted.

"But Henry...what about your home with me? What if we went somewhere together where they didn't see me as the Evil Queen? Think about it...I know how much you'd like to go back to the Enchanted Forest. We could do that together and start over," she said.

"Without the rest of my family?" he asked.

"I know it would be hard at first, but they will never see me as anything but the Evil Queen. I can't start over and be the hero that you want me to be with them," she replied. He shook his head.

"That's not true...Grams knows there is good in you, just like me. But you just keep hating her and trying to hurt her," he said in exasperation.

"Henry…she's the one that made me the Evil Queen," Regina insisted.

"No! You made yourself that, because you hurt people! But it's not too late! I know that if you really try to be good that they'll forgive you," he pleaded. Regina looked hurt.

"We don't need them, Henry. It can be good with just the two of us, just like before," she insisted.

"Why do you keep saying that? Are you planning something? Are you going to hurt everyone?" he asked. Another look of hurt passed over her features and she waved her hand over him to freeze him momentarily. With a quick spell, she extracted those memories from the last few minutes and erased them, before unfreezing him.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Henry asked. She shrugged and smiled.

"I just came to say hello...I've missed you. Why don't you show me that bird feeder," she requested. Henry looked encouraged by her interest and then proceeded to show her.


	65. Something Just Like This

Chapter 65: Something Just Like This

Snow finished getting sick that morning and flushed it away, before immediately going to the sink to brush her teeth. But as she did, she stared at reflection in the mirror. It was the third morning in a row and she knew she could no longer ignore these symptoms. She had to face what this really was, but she was a bit perplexed, for she was on birth control.

So far, she had been hiding her morning sickness easily, since Charming was already up and gone on morning patrol, thanks to their daughter's penchant loathing of early mornings. But now she had to face the very real possibility that she was pregnant, despite precautionary measures she had been taking.

Naturally, her first thought was to go to the drug store to buy a test, but she soon realized that with her mother, she may not even need that. Her mother would probably be able to tell with the wave her hand and if Snow was being honest, she needed to talk to someone. She knew David would be over the moon and she actually was too. But pregnancy also brought trepidation for her as well. She and David wanted more children; they always had. But she had imagined discussing Emma's feelings on the matter with her long before it became a reality. And that wasn't even factoring in the fact that Storybrooke wasn't exactly safe, no matter how much Hades insisted he wasn't there to cause trouble. Not even she was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt.

No...she needed to talk to her mother first. Snow never thought she'd be able to have this opportunity again and now that she did, she wanted her mother's help and advice.

As she came out from behind the curtain, Henry was coming inside with Wilby.

"I filled the bird feeder and Wilby took care of business," the boy announced. She smiled.

"Thank you Henry...did you eat breakfast? The bus will be here soon," Snow said, as Emma stumbled down the stairs.

"Why am I the only one in this family that hates mornings?" she grumbled. She smiled.

"To be fair in the days before I was on the run, I was not a morning person either. And even when I first married your father, I thought he was usually up far too early," she mentioned.

"Guess waking up with the sun on the farm stuck with him," she mentioned, as she poured some coffee.

"Which is why he doesn't mind taking early morning patrol," Snow said.

"You want some of this coffee?" Emma asked. Snow almost answered yes out of habit, but then remembered the possibility that she was eating and drinking for two.

"You know...I think I'm going to have cocoa this morning," she replied, hoping that Emma didn't think that was strange.

"Let's get you breakfast," Snow said, as she pulled out a pan.

"Can't I just have pop-tarts?" Henry asked.

"Sugar is not real breakfast," Snow responded.

"It's worked really well for me in the past," Emma joked.

"I know, but now that you're here with me and your father, I'm determined to make sure you're not living on bear claws and Ramen noodles," Snow chided, as she took the eggs out of the fridge.

After feeding her kid and grand kid, she saw them off and looked up to the loft, seeing that her mother was coming down the stairs about that time.

"Good morning," Persephone greeted.

"Morning…" Snow said, as her mother instantly noticed her pensiveness.

"Snow…" she started to say.

"I need your help...unless you have somewhere you need to be," she blurted out. Persephone smiled.

"Snowdrop...there is never anywhere I will ever need to be, especially if you need me," she responded. Snow swallowed, as they sat down on the couch.

"Honey...are you okay?" she asked in concern.

"I think I might be pregnant," Snow announced. A huge smile replaced the frown of concern on the Goddess' face, as she put her arms around her daughter.

"Oh Snow...that's wonderful!" she said and Snow smiled too, letting a bit of that joy she had been trying to contain out.

"I...I haven't taken a test yet and I just know that if I go the drug store to buy one, it will be all over town by dinner time. And this is delicate. I mean, I'm on birth control so we weren't expecting this. I...I just want time to talk to David and then Emma," she said.

"Say no more," Persephone replied, as she put a hand to her daughter's still flat stomach. A smile spread across her face again.

"Oh Snow...you are…" she confirmed, as they hugged and Snow sniffed.

"Oh sweetheart...you are happy about this, aren't you?" she asked.

"So happy...we've always wanted more children. I just...we wanted to talk to Emma about it long before it happened. I...I couldn't bare it if she thought we were replacing her," Snow cried.

"Oh honey...I know. And perhaps without the dreamscape, Emma would have a hard time not thinking that. But I honestly don't think that's going to be the case here," Persephone responded, as she put her hand on Snow's.

"It may have only been in the dreamscape, but she remembers having you and David there, at least part of the time. I can't speak for her, she loves you both so much. I think she'll be happy for you," Persephone reasoned. Snow nodded.

"I hope...it's just that this baby is going to get us full time and that's going to be hard for her," Snow lamented.

"It will...but I think she also knows that it's not like you and David set out to do this deliberately. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she knows this is a possibility now," Persephone said.

"Talk to her," she added. Snow nodded, as the door opened and revealed that Charming was home, probably only briefly, before he would go to the station. Persephone smiled.

"I think I'll make myself scarce," she said, as she passed David with a sly smile and went out the door.

"What was that about?" he asked, as Snow squelched the daylight between them and crushed her lips against his, surprising him. But he quickly got over that surprise and kissed her back, just as passionately.

"Wow...not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" he asked breathlessly, as their lips finally parted. Tears filled her eyes and she put his hand on her stomach. He looked at that and then his eyes shot up to hers.

"Really?" he asked, as if his voice almost didn't dare to hope. She nodded, as the tears began to fall. A wide grin spread on his face, as he picked her up and spun her around. She laughed, as her feet dangled off the floor and he placed short kisses all over her face. He slowly set her down on her feet and enveloped her in a hug, as he buried his face in her neck.

"I love you so much…" he said, his voice thick with love.

"I love you...I haven't been to the doctor yet, but my mother confirmed it. I thought it was better than buying a pregnancy test. If I did that, it would be all over town, before we were even sure," she replied.

"Then let's go to the see a doctor...right now," he said excitedly.

"Don't you need to get to the station?" she asked.

"Patrol was quiet and my boss is our daughter. I'm sure she's going to understand," he replied.

"Then you think we should tell her first?" she asked.

"Why not?" he responded, but then realized what she was worried about by the look on her face.

"I know you're worried, but Emma is going to be happy for us. She knows how much we love her and how important she is to us. Maybe things would be different if we hadn't had the dreamscape...but that's not the case. Let's go to the station and tell our daughter she's going to be a big sister," he said. She grinned, as his excitement was contagious and hugged him again.

"Then we'll go see a doctor...wait, is Whale the doctor we have to see?" he asked. She giggled at the disgust on his face.

"I'm afraid so, my love," she replied.

"We can't see Doc? I mean, he helped deliver Emma," David reminded, as he helped her into her coat.

"I know that, but having a baby in this world comes with a lot of modern benefits and Whale is unfortunately the only real doctor. Besides, Doc is now the Coroner and that's just...weird," she mentioned.

"Yeah...I guess it is," he agreed.

"I just hope Whale keeps the creepiness down to a minimum," he added.

"You and me both," she agreed, as they joined hands and headed out.

~*~

Emma entered the diner to grab a to go order for herself and her parents. Her Dad had texted her and said that they needed to talk to her, suggesting they could do so at the station in her office. She was definitely curious about what they could possibly need to tell her that couldn't wait until that night, but since the town was quiet, she wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to have lunch with them both. These days, now that they were finally together, they had been spending as much time together as possible and though she played her emotions close to the vest, she loved that.

She saw Tamara there too, also picking up a to go order, probably for her and Neal. She ignored the stab of jealousy that caused and inwardly cursed at herself for it. She could not have feelings for Neal anymore. She had gotten over him or so she thought and yet, after learning of August's part in their separation, she reconsidered her disdain for him. Add to that, seeing him with Henry and how much they loved each other definitely stirred feelings in her. She was sure her mother would tell her that such was natural. She knew Snow always got misty-eyed when she watched her with her father. But the situation was entirely different, wasn't it? I mean, her parents were true love and she and Neal were not. Dammit...she hated feelings and all that crap. Things were much more simple when she had closed herself off from all that after Neal broke her heart, save for her parents.

But her emotions for them were a lot less complicated than her romantic feelings. She wanted to be happy for Neal and let go of any residual feelings she had for him. And that might have been easier if she didn't get so many warning bells going off in her head around this woman. She wasn't sure if her feelings about Tamara could be trusted here. Were her feelings for Neal interfering with that and making her want to see that there was something bad about her? On the other hand, Emma would not be one to ignore these feelings completely, even if there was possible bias. Her son and parent's safety could be in jeopardy with outsiders in town. Regardless of her feelings, she wasn't going to let her guard down for a second when it came to protecting Henry and her parents.

The waitress handed a bag to Tamara, as Emma sided up to the counter.

"No mayo, right?" Tamara asked, as she turned and crashed into Emma at the counter, pulling her from her inner monologue.

"Ohh! I'm so sorry...he still hates mayo, huh?" Emma mentioned awkwardly, as she helped Tamara pick her things up off the floor. Among the things she had dropped was a piece of paper, listing most of the people in town and their counterparts. Emma stared at the list and felt trepidation start to fill her, for her parents and their real identities were at the top of the list.

"Avoids it like the plague," Tamara commented, referring to Neal's dislike for mayo. Emma handed the list back to her and Tamara tucked it away. Even as she was secretly panicking inside, she knew she had to keep her cool in front of this woman so she plastered a kind smile on her face.

"How are you doing here in Storybrooke? I mean, it's a lot to take in," the blonde mentioned.

"Understatement," Tamara said, as she laughed. Emma faked a laugh too.

"I guess you know that better than anyone...I mean, your parents are…" Tamara said, trailing off.

"Yeah...I guess that's true. But honestly, they're just Mom and Dad to me. And I had Henry to help me too," she mentioned cautiously.

"Right...Neal's doing the same for me," she agreed.

"Even so, it's pretty crazy here. If the world found out about this place, do you know what that would mean for Henry or Neal?" Emma questioned.

"Look Emma, you don't have to worry. You can trust me," Tamara insisted. Emma gave her another fake smile.

"That's good to know," she replied.

"I'll be seeing you later," Tamara said, as she left. Emma frowned, as her unease about this woman had suddenly taken a whole new and frightening turn.

"Yeah...I'll be seeing you," Emma muttered, as she got the takeout order and headed to the station. She wasn't sure what her parents wanted to talk to her about, but she was now doubly glad they were having lunch, because there was no way she was not going to tell them what she had just found out. A list...she didn't know what it meant or why Tamara had it. But the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach could not be ignored and at the very least, she needed to talk to them about it.

~*~

August got out of the car, as they arrived in the place the Dragon insisted they go to in New York City.

"So we're here...at an herbal garden?" August asked, as he stared at the small shop before them in Chinatown.

"You think you might answer some questions now? Like who you really are and why we're here at what seems like some hole in the wall in NYC?" August continued.

"My name is of no consequence and quite recognizable in this world. But I am nothing like the silly creature for which is my namesake," he said cryptically. August sighed.

"And I thought I was a master of riddles," he quipped, but received no response.

"If your daughter is Circe...does that make you the Titan, Hyperion?" August questioned. The Dragon smiled slightly.

"One that has read any of Homer's works would think such...but as you may imagine, stories are not always what we think," he replied. August snorted.

"Okay...I'll give you that. Like Snow White being the daughter of Persephone. And Prince Charming also being the pauper," he said.

"Quite. Or the Big Bad Wolf also being Red Riding Hood. Or Rumpelstiltskin and the Beast being one in the same as well," the Dragon added.

"How do you know so much about my land? Are you from there too?" August asked again.

"I am from...no where anymore. I am a man displaced forever with time as both my friend and nemesis," he replied.

"Wow...that was just ridiculously cryptic. Are you sure you're not the Riddler?" August complained, though he was feeling a bit like he might deserve it a bit. After all, he had been cryptic himself before.

"So...you're not Hyperion, but the father of Circe. And I'm guessing that the written myths are wrong about her too or they at least left out quite a bit," August said, as they went inside the shop.

"Quite a lot," a woman said, as she emerged from the back room. She was beautiful, but elderly, around the same age in appearance as the Dragon was, though she had aged much more gracefully. Her hair was all white and she carried herself with an air that reminded him of how Persephone carried herself. An air of the Divine.

"I suppose you're not going to tell me your name either," August said.

"Oh no, dear boy...I am Hecate. Welcome to my humble little shop," she replied.

"Hecate...the goddess of magic and witchcraft?" August asked. She nodded curtly, as her eyes flicked to the Dragon.

"Hecate...you are as lovely as ever," he said.

"And you got old," she quipped.

"We must find Circe…" he said.

"You think I do not know that?" she snapped.

"What kind of danger is she in?" August asked. Hecate's eyes flicked to the Dragon.

"You didn't tell him?" she asked.

"He's not a very straightforward guy," August commented. Hecate sighed and looked at him.

"Circe is not in danger...she is the danger," Hecate revealed, as she looked back at the Dragon.

"Tell him...tell him everything, Mushu," she demanded.

~*~

Snow and David arrived at the station hand in hand, shortly after Emma arrived. Hook was still in his cell and looked at his food with scrutiny.

"And this is called what again, love?" he asked.

"A cheeseburger. It's great...feel grateful that I didn't try to feed you the half eaten pop-tart again," she replied. He shook his head and took a bite.

"Well, the food is quite strange in this land, but delicious at least," he commented.

"Hey…" she said, as she noticed them and stood up.

"Hi honey," Snow greeted and Emma took a double take. Her mother seemed almost giddy and was practically glowing. She supposed that boded well for whatever they had to tell her. She just wished what she had to tell them wasn't extremely troubling. She was going to hate spoiling their good mood with talk of possible doom to the town, but they were leaders and had to know what she had learned.

"Should we go in your office?" David asked.

"Well...he's not really going anywhere, but if you'd rather," Emma replied. Snow shrugged.

"It probably won't exactly be a secret much longer," she said, as they shared a contagious smile.

"Okay...come on guys. What is it already?" she asked anxiously. Snow took a deep breath, as he squeezed her hand.

"Okay, before we tell you...we just want to make sure you know how much we love you," Snow said.

"You mean everything to us, Emma. We had the dreamscape, but that wasn't the plan we had for you," David continued.

"I know that...I know things were rough when I was a kid and a teenager. I was terrible to you both," she reminded. But Snow shook her head.

"That's all forgotten, sweetheart. We just want to make sure you know that nothing could ever replace you in our lives," Snow said, as she looked at her.

"And the reason I'm saying that is...I'm pregnant," she announced, waiting for her daughter's reaction with bated breath. She grinned and then came forward to hug them both.

"Mom...that's wonderful," she told her.

"Really?" Snow asked.

"Of course!" Emma exclaimed.

"Thank you honey...I just want to make sure you know that we didn't plan this exactly and even though you're grown, you're still our baby as much as this one is," Snow said.

"Mom...I know that. I know that the curse stole a lot from us and I didn't have a normal childhood. But I still had you guys in the dreamscape and it made all the difference in the world," she told them.

"I know what I was like as a teenager and the fact that you never gave up on me proves what amazing parents you are. Because I know I did not make it easy," she admonished.

"Emma...you went through hell and it haunts every day. Between all the terrible group homes and worse foster homes...it kills us that this was your life," David said. Snow sniffed.

"He's right...all those people that mistreated you. Or the ones that gave you back, like your first family, or those hypocrites that decided that somehow you didn't fit into their vision of family when you were fifteen...they had no idea the incredible gift you are and how stupid they were to let you go," Snow cried, as she hugged her.

"Because now that we're finally together, Daddy and I are never letting you go," she continued, as Emma swiped a tear away and hugged her mother fiercely.

"I know…" she confirmed, as David joined them in a family embrace and cradled her head. Hook wisely kept his mouth shut and had averted his eyes from the intimate family moment.

"I know...and I'm so happy for you both. For us...this is a wonderful thing for our family. And I can't wait to meet him or her. They're going to be the luckiest kid, next to me, to have parents like you. Believe me...I've seen enough bad ones to know when I see good ones," she told them.

"So...how far along are you?" Emma asked. Snow smiled.

"Well...we're not sure. I didn't want to go buy a pregnancy test at the pharmacy…" she said.

"Yeah...this town would salivate over that kind of gossip," Emma snorted. She nodded.

"So I had my mother confirm it and we wanted to tell you before we went to the hospital," Snow replied. Emma smiled.

"I'm glad you did...but I guess now comes the real test. Enduring an appointment with Whale," she said, wrinkling her nose. Snow looked like a dark haired version of her daughter as she did the same.

"I know...I really hope he keeps the creepiness down to a minimum," she agreed.

"He will...if he knows what's good for him," David said dangerously, as he looked to their daughter then.

"I was hoping my boss might give me the afternoon off to go with her?" he asked.

"You better go," Emma replied, as he smiled and kissed her forehead. That's when Hook decided it was more appropriate to offer his two cents.

"Well, congratulations are in order I'd say, milady," Hook said, giving her a deep bow.

"Thank you Hook," she responded politely.

"And to you as well mate...well done, indeed. No doubt it was a task you enjoyed immensely," Hook added with a leer of amusement.

"And just when I thought your congratulations were sincere...you ruin it," Snow deadpanned. He smirked.

"Oh no, my congratulations are quite sincere, love. Congratulations to you both on bringing another insufferable royal into the world," he added. David growled and advanced, intending to reach through the bars for the pirate's throat. But Snow pulled him back.

"Charming...no, he's not worth it," Snow said, as she pulled him back.

"You wound me, princess," Hook mocked.

"More like pity you," she retorted and he glared at her for that.

"You've wasted your life pursuing revenge and leaving a trail of blood in your wake. That must be a lonely life," she said, as she hooked her hand on Charming's elbow, as they went to sit down to eat with their daughter, leaving Hook to think about her words. He didn't like being called out like that, especially not by a royal. His revenge was everything. That spoiled little princess didn't know anything. She never needed revenge, though he knew she had been the focus of Regina's revenge. She couldn't be right about his revenge. It had sustained him and would complete him once he had it. Once he had his revenge, his life would have true meaning...wouldn't it?

"Mmm...I'm starving," Snow said, as she started eating and David chuckled.

"I figured...that's why I made sure Emma got dessert too," he replied. She looked at him and in the other bag, finding a huge piece of Granny's chocolate cake.

"Oh, I love you," Snow gushed, as she returned to eating her meal. He ate too, though he was more content to watch her, which made Emma smile. Her parents were definitely a love like no other.

"Oh honey...what did you need to talk to us about?" Snow asked. Emma sighed.

"I really don't want to spoil your good mood," she replied.

"Emma...we've talked about this. You don't have to protect us like that," David admonished. She nodded.

"He's right...just because I'm pregnant now does not mean I'm to be treated like some porcelain doll and that goes for you too, Charming," Snow said.

"Okay...well, I ran into Tamara at the diner, like literally and as I was helping her pick up her stuff, I saw a list that she had," Emma replied.

"A list?" David asked.

"Of all the townspeople and their counterparts. And you two were at the top of her list," Emma replied. They exchanged a glance.

"What could that mean?" Snow wondered.

"I'm not sure, but my super power went crazy when I asked her if she understood that no one can know about Storybrooke. She said she understood and that I could trust her...but it was a bald face lie," Emma replied.

"Then you think she intends to do something sinister with that list?" David asked. Emma shrugged.

"I'm not sure...she was lying, I felt it. I just don't know about what," she replied, unaware that Hook was carefully listening to their conversation again.

"Are you going to tell Neal about the list?" Snow asked.

"For Henry's sake...I think I have to. Having two outsiders here is bad enough. We need to make sure she's not a threat and not just for my child's sake now," Emma replied. Snow and David exchanged another look and nodded.

"We're with you, Emma...whatever you need from us," he confirmed. She smiled at them.

"I know...for now I guess you two should probably get to the hospital after Mom finishes her cake," Emma said in amusement, as she spied her mother chowing down with chocolate all over her lips. David chuckled and checked his phone, having had it on silent. He was surprised to find that he had ten missed calls, all from Jefferson. He pushed the button and then put the phone to his ear.

"Don't you ever answer your phone, chisel chin?" Jefferson answered crossly on the other end.

"Sorry...it's been an eventful day so far," he said, as he smiled fondly at his wife.

"Well, it's about to get even more eventful. You and Snow need to meet me at Gold's shop, like now," Jefferson replied.

"Can't it wait...Snow and I need to do something this afternoon," David said.

"No...it can't wait. It's really important. There's a very real possibility that the entire town could be in danger," Jefferson replied desperately.

"Okay...Snow and I will head for the shop first," he said, as he hung up.

"What was that about?" Snow asked, as she wiped her mouth on a napkin.

"I'm not sure, but he's anxious about something. We need to stop at the shop before we go to the hospital," he said. She nodded, as they gathered their coats and prepared to leave.

"Okay...you two go see what's up with Jefferson and I'll talk to Neal," Emma said.

"Okay...we'll see you at home later. Hopefully this is nothing," David replied, as they hugged her, before leaving hand in hand.


	66. These Dreams

Chapter 66: These Dreams

Jefferson was practically pacing a hole in the floor at the shop, as they waited on Snow and Charming.

"You need to calm down...whatever it is, I'm sure we can figure it out," Belle admonished, as she and Rumple stood behind the counter together. He sighed.

"Not if the town is imploding around us...what I saw could be bad," Jefferson insisted, as the shop bell rang, bringing Snow and Charming, hand in hand, through the door.

"Okay...we're here. What's so urgent?" David asked.

"Why weren't you answering your phone?" Jefferson questioned.

"Sorry, I had it on silent. Snow and I were talking with Emma," he said, as he looked at her and they grinned at each other.

"We got some really good news this morning," he added.

"Good news?" Belle inquired curiously, noticing how Snow seemed to be practically bursting.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out, not being able to contain it any longer. Belle gasped and rushed out from behind the counter, as the two women hugged.

"Oh Snow...I'm so happy for you! For you both!" Belle exclaimed, as she hugged David too.

"Thanks," he said.

"I really am glad for you two, but that's all the more reason for you to listen about what I saw last night," Jefferson interjected impatiently.

"Okay...you have our full attention," David replied.

"Last night...I saw something that was...worrisome to say the least," Jefferson said.

"What was it?" Snow asked, as she clutched her husband's hand.

"It was that woman...Tamara," he said, as he looked at Gold.

"She was having a very...intense conversation with none other than Greg Mendell in an alleyway. It was nearly midnight," he replied.

"Then you think they know each other?" Belle asked. He scoffed.

"Oh yeah...they know each other. They know each other really well," he replied.

"And by that you mean?" David asked. Jefferson looked at Gold again.

"Because after their intense conversation, they started kissing," he replied.

"Oh no…" Snow said, realizing what that meant for Neal.

"So she's cheating on my son…" Rumple stated, as he clenched his teeth. He felt angered by the fact that his son was going to get hurt, but moreover, he was upset by the fact that history was repeating itself. It wasn't the same type of situation, but he had been hurt when Milah left him. And now his son would experience the same betrayal. This was, perhaps worse though, for this woman was purposely using him on the side. The only light at the end of the tunnel was that, while Neal's heart would be broken, perhaps it would leave him open to real love, like it had for Rumple.

"Yeah...I'm sorry," Jefferson offered.

"If this Tamara knows Greg Mendell, what are the chances that it's a coincidence?" Belle wondered. Snow looked at her.

"There are no coincidences," Rumple growled.

"Which means Greg Mendell probably didn't just randomly happen upon our town that night," David said.

"Wait...do you think he actually purposely crashed his car into town?" Snow asked.

"If he wanted to come here...then he knew he probably had to make it look accidental,: Jefferson surmised.

"The thing I don't get is why? Or how even? I thought no one knew about Storybrooke," David said.

"All we have are questions and what we need are answers," Rumple interjected.

"He's right...we need to find out everything we can on this Greg Mendell. I'll call Emma on the way to the hospital and she'll know how to start digging into this guy's past," David offered.

"What about Neal?" Belle asked and they all exchanged looks.

"Emma went to talk to him about something else…something that seems even more troubling now that we know Tamara is, at the very least, cheating on him," Snow replied.

"What is it?" Jefferson asked, as Snow looked at her husband.

"Earlier today, Emma bumped into her at the diner, quite literally. As she was helping her pick her things up...she saw a list that Tamara had on her," David explained.

"A list?" Belle asked.

"Of all of us...and our counterparts. The counterparts that people think are fictional in this world," Snow replied. Jefferson sighed.

"I knew it...I knew it!" the Hatter exclaimed.

"We need to keep calm about this," David warned.

"Calm?! How the hell are we going to do that? For all we know, there will be tour buses driving up and down Main street by tomorrow!" he shouted, as he started pacing.

"Who knows what the hell they've seen while they've been here...or heard!" he cried.

"He's not wrong," Rumple muttered.

"Be that as it may...I hardly think losing our heads about it is going to do us any good," David retorted, earning a hard look from the Hatter on that.

"No offense," he added.

"I get it...I just want to protect my family, the same as you," Jefferson said, as he and David shared a look.

"Then I guess we figure out where we go from here and what we do with this information," the prince said.

"And someone has to tell Neal," Belle reminded, as she looked at Rumple.

"It falls to me...I am his father. I will tell him," he agreed. He may not have liked Tamara before and definitely loathed her now. But breaking his son's heart, even if it was for the best, was a task he did not relish.

"What do we do about Greg and Tamara?" Snow asked.

"Letting them know we're onto them could back them into a corner. We don't know what they know, why they know it...or who they've told. But it's clear Tamara has been probably spying on who knows what around town. Maybe we should be doing a bit of spying ourselves," David suggested.

"That's all great and everything, but what exactly do you know about spying on someone without getting caught?" Jefferson questioned.

"Well...I've been known to be pretty good at reconnaissance when I need to be. Snow and I fought a war, if you remember. But Emma will also know about this. She's very good at this kind of thing," David said. Snow smiled at the note of pride in his voice when it came to their daughter's abilities.

"Plus...we still have you with your telescope. If you could monitor their movements around town as much as possible, that might be a huge advantage," he added. Jefferson nodded.

"If I can see them from my vantage point, then you'll know exactly where they are at all times," he promised.

"First thing is first though...we have something very important to take care of at the hospital," David said, as they shared a smile.

"At least there's some good news around here...you just better hope we can stop these two outsiders if they do have ill intentions," Jefferson commented.

"We will...we've come too far to safeguard this town and the people we love to lose now, especially to these two. We won't let them hurt the people we love...at least not more than they already have," David replied, as he shared a sympathetic look with Gold. The Dark One had mostly been stoically silent, probably contemplating the uncomfortable conversation he had ahead of him.

"You two should go...I must call my son," he said, as he retreated into the back room. Jefferson headed out too, intending to return to his home to do his part.

"Good luck at the hospital," she offered. Snow smiled.

"Thanks...I'll tell you everything once I know more," she promised, as she and David joined hands and exited the shop through the front door, with the hospital as their next destination.

~*~

Leroy stood up and stretched, having been lounging in a chair in the bullpen.

"I'm gonna go get us some grub...you stay here and guard the station," Leroy said to Happy. The dwarves had been charged with keeping an eye on things at the station, while David was with Snow this afternoon and while Emma had gone to talk to Neal.

"Why do I have to stay?" Happy asked.

"Cause we can't leave Sleepy here by himself," Leroy replied.

"I won't fall asleep...I promise," Sleepy said, as he yawned.

"Yeah right...Charming will have our heads if we leave you by yourself on guard duty," Happy quipped, as he sat back in his chair.

"While you're at the diner...I suppose you could fancy a bit of something for me as well?" Hook questioned. Leroy gave him a look of disdain.

"Yeah...if it were up to me, I'd be giving you bread crusts and water. But lucky for you, our new Mayor says even prisoners deserve a hot meal, so you can thank her since you get to eat too," Leroy replied. Hook glowered back at him and came close to the bars.

"Oh, I promise I'll relay my thanks to your fair Mayor...and perhaps her equally lovely daughter as well," he said, with a wink.

"Yeah...keep talking like that, pirate and Charming will have more than words for you," Leroy warned, though Hook didn't seemed fazed by any threats. Happy sat back in his chair, as the other two left. After they did, a man came walking into the Sheriff's station and Happy recognized him as the outsider that had crashed into town.

"Can I help you?" he asked, hoping that he was keeping the weariness out of his voice.

"Yes...I was hoping to talk to the Sheriff. I'd like to report a crime," Greg said.

"A crime?" Happy asked. He nodded, as Happy offered him a seat.

"Sheriff Swan should be back soon, but I can take some notes for her," he said.

"Thank you...it's an old crime, but was never solved. I was one of the victims," he stated.

"When did this happen?" Happy asked and the man looked him straight in the eyes.

"Twenty-eight years and six months ago," Greg said, as Happy felt the hair on his neck stand on end.

"Um...that...that certainly was a long time ago," he said. Greg nodded.

"I was just a boy then...but you know, it's curious, because it seems that I'm the only one that changed. This town...and everyone in it is exactly the same," he mentioned. Happy swallowed nervously.

"Uh...so what was this crime?" he asked.

"At the very least...unlawful imprisonment," Greg replied, as he swallowed thickly.

"Or possibly worse…" he added.

"And who was the other victim?" Happy questioned.

"My father...Kurt Flynn and he was unlawfully imprisoned by one Regina Mills. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Greg asked, as they stared at each other.

"No...I'm afraid I don't," Happy responded.

"Really? You don't know anyone else that was imprisoned by this woman? This evil woman?" Greg growled, as Happy put the pen down and slowly reached into the desk drawer, hoping to find a blunt object, just in case.

"I...I think that Sheriff Swan and Deputy Nolan would be better able to answer those questions," Happy stammered. Greg smirked.

"Yes...I guess that would make sense. You're just a lackey for them," he replied condescendingly.

"Or is it...a dwarf?" Greg questioned. Happy clutched the scissors from the drawer, but he was easily subdued by the taser that Greg jammed into his gut. He slumped unconscious in the chair, as Greg stood up and opened the drawer, finding a pair of spare cuffs. He handed them to the pirate through the bars.

"Put these on," Greg ordered, as he held the taser out before him in a threatening manner, letting Hook see the power of its electric charge. The pirate wisely held his hands up in surrender, before cuffing himself. Greg unlocked the cell and made a show in front of the cameras of putting a bag over Hook's head. He then looked at the camera dead on, before he wrote something on the paper where Happy had been taking notes, before marching the pirate out.

~*~

Emma opened the loft door. She had called Neal and figured talking to him about what she had found out about Tamara would best be done when he dropped Henry off that afternoon, while her parents were still out.

"What...did you tranquilize him?" she asked, noticing that their napping son was slung over his shoulder.

"Ah, you know...we had a couple shots of bourbon. Kid is a real lightweight," Neal joked, as he put him down on the couch.

"Sounds like you guys had a full day," she mentioned.

"We went to the park. He's getting pretty good with those wooden swords. I guess that makes sense, considering where his family's from," Neal replied, as he noticed her pensiveness.

"What?" he asked.

"We need to talk," she replied. He sighed.

"Well, good things always come that kind of statement," he said sarcastically, as they went to the kitchen table.

"Listen...there's no easy way to tell you this, but I think Tamara might be a danger to the town," she confessed. He sighed.

"Emma…" he started to admonish.

"Don't Emma me…" she said defensively.

"Fine...what makes you think that?" Neal asked.

"I bumped into her at the diner earlier today...and she had a list," Emma replied. Neal seemed unaffected by anything she was saying though.

"A list of the prominent people in town and their counterparts," she reiterated.

"Emma…" he started to say again.

"And my parents were at the top of that list! Along with your Dad," she told him.

"Emma...I made that list for her," he confessed. She blanched.

"Why would you do that?!" she exclaimed and then lowered her voice, so as not to wake Henry.

"I helped her make it to come to grips with this place. It's not easy, you know? I mean...she's trying to deal with it for me," he explained.

"Neal...I'm sorry, but I have a huge problem with that list. What if she gives it to someone dangerous and blows this whole town right open?" Emma fretted.

"Emma...she's not going to give it to anyone. Anyway...who would she even give it to?" he questioned. Emma fell silent. She didn't know the answer to that, but that woman was definitely not what she seemed.

"I don't know...she has an attorney for a friend. Who knows who else she knows," Emma retorted. He sighed.

"I knew you'd use that against me later," he complained.

"Look Neal...I know you don't want to entertain the fact that something's up with her. And even if it isn't, I get the distinct impression that she might not get how important it is that this place stays a secret," Emma stated.

"She does!" he insisted.

"She better...because this is my family we're talking about! My son, my parents, my...never mind," she deflected.

"No...now who's hiding stuff?" he retorted. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not hiding anything. It's just...my Mom just found out she's pregnant," Emma told him. His eyes widened.

"Wow...that's gotta be weird," he joked, but she was not amused.

"Or not...I mean, that's great. They must be overjoyed," he offered and she smiled.

"They are...I am...so if you think I was overprotective of them before? You haven't seen anything yet. This is my family we're talking about and if someone is a danger to them...I don't care who the hell they are, Neal. I'll take them out," she threatened.

"I get it...I'm part of this family now too. Your parents are really good people and I would never want anything to happen to them. But I'm telling you...Tamara isn't a threat. I will tell her to be more careful with that list," he offered. She gazed at him in silence for a moment and then relented. He was never going to believe that Tamara was not what she seemed unless he saw it for himself.

"Fine...I'll take your word for it," she fibbed. Oh, but there was no way in hell she was letting this go.

"Thank you," he offered.

"Look...I'm gonna go for now, but will I see you at the diner for dinner later?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah...we'll probably be there. If I know Henry, he'll be up soon and starving," she offered. He chuckled and she saw him out, before closing the door with a sigh.

"So...Tamara is bad news," a voice said and she turned to find her son, wide awake. Her mouth hung open and she looked at him suspiciously.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked.

"Since Dad dropped me on the couch, but I know adults don't really talk about everything when I'm around," he replied.

"So you pretended to be asleep...sneaky," she commented.

"So Tamara…" he prompted.

"Kid…" she warned.

"Operation Cobra is back on, right? We're investigating Tamara, right?" he asked, as he grabbed a package of pop-tarts out of the pantry.

"Oh...and is Grams really pregnant?" he asked. She sighed.

"Yes...your Grams is really pregnant," she answered, with a smile.

"Awesome...so Tamara?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Get your coat," she replied.

~*~

Snow sat on the exam table anxiously, as they waited for the blood test to come back. Whale had been his usual self when they had arrived. The prospect of having to put her legs in stirrups for Whale and him between her legs was seriously making her uncomfortable. The fact that he was the best Storybrooke had to offer for a doctor was disappointing to say the least. She was really unnerved by the fact that Dr. Frankenstein would be delivering her second child and she knew her husband was even less thrilled. He returned with her file and smiled pleasantly, which still looked smarmy to them.

"Congratulations...you are indeed pregnant. Six weeks along, to be exact," he reported. They both let out a relieved breath and smiled excitedly at each other.

"So...what's next? Is it too early for an ultrasound?" Snow asked.

"No...though we won't be able to see much at this point. But if you want to, we can certainly do one, along with a routine exam so I can determine the right regimen of prenatal vitamins," he said. David took her hand and they nodded eagerly.

"Okay...you just need to undress and put this gown on. Then we can get started," Whale said. They stared at him, as he went about scribbling on her chart and then looked back up at them.

"What?" he asked.

"Can you please step out?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I'm a doctor...I've seen many naked women," he leered, though it sounded like a boast.

"Out…" David demanded. The doctor rolled his eyes and she groaned, as she took her blouse off.

"Just when I think he might actually try to be professional and not creepy," she complained.

"I know...the fact that he's going to be...I can't even say it," he lamented.

"Believe me...I hate it as much as you, if not more," she agreed, as he helped her put the gown on and then sit up on the table. He surprised her then by kissing her tenderly. She swooned and bit her bottom lip, as their lips parted and pressed her forehead against his.

"I am so happy…" he told her.

"Me too…" she gushed, as he put his hand on her still flat stomach that she knew would soon swell with their child. And she knew he would be just like he was with Emma. His hand had never been far from resting on their baby when they were together. He had often told stories about how they met and their adventures to their unborn child and even sang to her. She knew this time would be no different and she relished it. He pecked her lips again, just as Whale returned.

"Whoa there...I think you've already made delivery there, Deputy. No need to do so again in my exam room," Whale joked, earning him a glare from the Prince.

"All right...I think you know the procedure," he said, gesturing to the stirrups. Snow didn't like how excited he seemed by getting between her legs and that was the moment that her mother chose to burst in, thankfully.

"Sorry I'm late, sweetheart," she said.

"That's okay...I didn't know you were coming though," Snow replied.

"Oh, I wouldn't miss any of this for anything. I was just waiting on our guest," Persephone said, as she gestured to the woman beside her. She was dressed in a smart pantsuit and white lab coat. She was beautiful, with auburn hair, styled in beachy waves and mesmerizing brown eyes. She was petite, but obviously very fit, giving the impression that she might be athletic.

"And this is?" Whale asked, none too pleased about being interrupted. Persephone looked at him smugly.

"This is my daughter's new doctor. Your services will no longer be required, Dr. Frankenstein," she responded.

"I prefer Whale these days and you expect me to believe this woman is a doctor? In this town?" he questioned.

"Oh no, she's not from this town at all," Persephone replied.

"Mother...you got me a doctor from outside Storybrooke?" Snow asked wearily.

"Oh no sweetie, not from the Land Without Magic," Persephone replied, as the two women smiled at each other.

"Snow and David...I would like you to meet my half sister Artemis," she announced.

"Artemis? Goddess of the hunt?" David questioned. She smiled.

"And animals and childbirth, as well as protector of young women," she added.

"And your Aunt," Persephone added.

"So you're a Goddess...that hardly makes you a doctor," Whale refuted.

"Actually, it does. I convinced Zeus several years ago that Olympians needed to evolve with the times. People may no longer view us as anything more than myths, but that doesn't mean we do not have anything to offer to humanity," she protested.

"He allowed me to cross into the Land Without Magic and live among the mortals long enough to get my medical degree. Top of my class...Harvard Med," she boasted. David smirked.

"In other words, Whale, you're never getting between my daughter's legs," Persephone smirked.

"Yeah...your services will definitely no longer be needed," he told the doctor, who looked as miffed and irritated as they had ever seen, before storming out. Snow smiled.

"Thank you Mother," she said, as Persephone hugged her.

"Anything for you, Snowdrop and I was completely serious when I said there is no way I'm letting Dr. Frankenstein touch my baby. Doctor or not, I am not a fan of his early work," she replied.

"We're no fans of Whale, but I can't help but notice that your disdain of him seems a bit concentrated," Snow inquired. She sighed.

"Let's just say that, as the Queen of the Underworld and subsequently the Goddess of Spring and new life, his unnatural work is highly offensive to me," she responded.

"So...now that you're a bit more comfortable, how about that ultrasound?" Artemis asked. Snow nodded eagerly, as the woman completed her exam with no awkwardness and then moved on to the ultrasound.

As Artemis rubbed the solution on Snow's barely rounded abdomen, an image appeared on screen.

"There isn't much to see yet, but there he or she is," she pointed out to them on the screen. And even though their baby was the size of pea currently, it did nothing to lessen their awe. David clutched her hand and grinned at her, as tears started to fall down her cheeks. He kissed her hair, as he fought back his own tears.

"Congratulations...everything up to this point seems completely normal. I'll have you begin a regimen of vitamins and then I'll see you both in a few weeks for another appointment," Artemis said.

"Thank you," David replied tearfully. She smiled.

"You're both very welcome," she said. Persephone smiled at them both.

"I'm going to take Artemis over to the Inn to get a room and then we'll see you at the diner for dinner," she said, as the two women left. Snow pulled her husband down and kissed him passionately. He kissed her back with equal fervor. Neither of them could hardly believe it. Their happiness was bursting out of them and they couldn't wait until the day they would welcome their second child…

~*~

Hook didn't know where he was being led, but he knew it was up a set of stairs. He felt the other man force him to sit in a chair, before the bag was finally pulled off his head.

"If you think I'm afraid of the dark, you're a couple of fools. I've spent enough time below deck to not be afraid of the dark. So if this is your idea of torture, then you'll have to try a little harder," Hook goaded.

"Torture you? No, we just want to offer you a job," Greg responded. Hook snickered.

"Oh? And then you're gonna let me go?" he laughed.

"Captain Killian Jones has one job, mates. And that's skinning my crocodile. I nearly completed that quest, but alas, once again, the Dark One eludes death," he groused.

"We agree. It's really too bad that your stabbing of the Dark One didn't take," Tamara said.

"Did you get that name from your little list that Neal helped you make?" Hook questioned and she frowned.

"Oh yes...I know about your list. Emma Swan is onto you, love. She's very agitated that her precious parents are on your little cheat sheet. But something tells me that you knew about the Dark One before that little list," he said.

"You're smarter than you look, Captain. But the fact remains...your thirst for revenge remains unquenched and we are the only ones that can offer you a chance at it again. A chance to make it stick this time," Tamara tempted. He scoffed.

"You and the receding hairline here?" he retorted, referring to Greg.

"We know how to kill magical creatures," she claimed. He smirked.

"Oh really? That is quite a bold claim, indeed. What the price?" he inquired.

"I need you to help me find someone. My father. He was taken in this town a long time ago," Greg replied.

"So I heard you telling the cheerful dwarf, which still puzzles me. You revealed your hand to the Sheriff. You didn't even try to hide what you did and now she'll be onto you," he warned. He smirked.

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Greg responded, making Hook gaze at him with scrutiny.

"So...that story was true. Regina took your father," he stated.

"Yes...and you know her. We get what we want and you get what you want. Do we have a deal?" Greg questioned. Hook looked at them both, contemplating his next move...


	67. Rolling in the Deep

Chapter 67: Rolling in the Deep

Regina gazed around her former office with scrutiny and felt the anger still burn inside her. Snow had managed to steal this from her too and though her office was mostly still the same, there were touches here and there that told that this was no longer her office. First of all, the colorful bird painting on the wall disgusted her and the ivory basket on the receiving desk no longer held her delicious honey crisp apples. Instead, it offered other fruits and then there was her former desk. She picked up the picture frame on the desk and stared at it. It was Snow with her idiot husband and daughter...along with her son. And the woman that had killed her mother too. They were all smiles in the picture that was obviously taken recently. She pulled the bean pod out of her pocket that she had stolen from the bean fields.

Taking Henry and leaving this place with him would make him hate her even more at first, but she knew if she could just get him away from her enemies, he would eventually see why he didn't need anyone but her. She jumped, as she heard the door open and she was ready to disappear, in case it was Snow, but stilled, as Captain Hook waltzed through the door with a limp.

"Captain...you look like you've had a rough time," she commented.

"Indeed, I have. I've come to ask for your protection," he responded.

"How did you get out of Charming's jail?" she inquired. He smirked.

"I am a pirate...I have my ways," he replied and she easily bought that explanation.

"So you want protection from Gold, I presume? I'll admit, I'm surprised you'd show you face in this town after your murder didn't take. It makes me curious as to why you didn't flee once you acquired your freedom," she stated.

"No where to flee to...and we have bigger problems. That man, Greg Mendell that crashed into town...well, he's in league with some woman. She abducted me in New York and dragged me back here," he explained.

"They want me to make an alliance with you and then betray you. That's why they helped me acquire my freedom and then let me go," he confessed.

"Mmm...now that I buy," she confirmed.

"Well, I say that you and I make an alliance. Then we can skip the unpleasant betrayal business," he offered.

"Why should I trust you?" she questioned.

"I took up with your mother for a reason, may her soul rest. I'd rather not betray her daughter, if for no other reason than to honor her," he replied gallantly.

"Then you know she was killed," Regina stated evenly.

"Aye...by Snow White's mother, no less. She will be missed, but I will tell you this, Regina. I knew her well enough to know that what she wanted most in the world was to see you win. Now, I failed in my revenge. The best tribute I could give her is to help you with yours," he offered. Regina considered his words for a moment.

"Let me show you something," she said, as she opened her palm and revealed the bean pod.

"An escape plan? Oh, she would have loved that. She brought that giant for the beans so she could go back and start over with you," he confirmed.

"And now I'm going to do that with Henry, if you'll help me. This is how we're going to escape the total destruction of Storybrooke. If I can trust you," she prompted.

"Now when you say total destruction, this includes the Crocodile, yes?" he asked. She smirked.

"Oh yes...Rumpelstiltskin will die, but only if you help me," she replied. He smirked.

"Then I believe we have an accord, love," he confirmed.

~*~

Emma's yellow bug was parked inconspicuously outside the diner.

"So operation Cobra was about breaking the curse. This operation is about keeping Storybrooke a secret, so we need a new name," Henry chattered.

"Operation Tiger," Emma decided.

"Why?" Henry asked skeptically.

"I need a why? You never need a why," she protested.

"I want something like the town, something that hides in plain sight. Like a Praying Mantis!" he exclaimed. Emma chuckled and shook her head, as she heard the bell chime.

"Oh! Duck!" she called, as they ducked down in the seat. But she soon saw that it wasn't them.

"Nevermind...not them," she said, as they sat up again.

"Stakeouts are fun," Henry said.

"Not usually," she replied, as she looked at him with a smile.

"But this one? Yeah, kinda," she admitted.

"I like having adventures with our family. Even if it's not over there, it's fun here too," he mentioned.

"And after Dad realizes that he shouldn't marry Tamara, maybe we can have them with him, you know, the three of us," Henry added.

"Whoa, wait kid...that...we're not...that's not…" Emma stammered, but she was fortunately saved when Henry spotted Tamara.

"Duck!" he called, as they did, just as Neal and Tamara left the Inn and parted ways with a kiss.

"Operation Praying Mantis is on," Henry said. Emma sighed, as they got out of the car and she chased after her son, as they sneaked into the Inn.

~*~

Neal entered his father's shop and noticed that he was alone, waiting for him.

"I got your text...what's up? You said it was urgent," he said. Rumple nodded.

"Quite urgent, I'm afraid," he responded.

"Okay…" Neal said, as he was sufficiently weirded out by his father's strange behavior.

"I'm afraid I have something to tell you that will be hard to hear," Rumple stated.

"Okay...you're starting to scare me so why don't you stop beating around the bush and just be out with it," Neal responded. Rumple nodded.

"I'm afraid our friend Jefferson saw something last night that ultimately is going to be...hurtful for you to learn," he said, as Neal looked at him expectantly.

"He witnessed your fiance talking to Greg Mendell, last night...quite late from his telescope," Rumple began to explain. Neal raised an eyebrow.

"From his telescope?" the younger man asked skeptically.

"Yes...it's how Jefferson keeps an eye on things around town," Rumple informed.

"You mean how he spies...which is a bit creepy if you ask me," Neal interjected.

"Be that as it may...he has yielded information for us in the past this way. It's how he knew Regina was involved when Snow was abducted by Hermes. He saw her talking to an unknown man in an alley the night before," Rumple reminded.

"So what? Tamara has insomnia sometimes and she stepped out. Talking to some guy isn't a crime," Neal replied.

"Except they proceeded to do more than just talk," Rumple snapped, silencing his son.

"When their conversation finished...they kissed. And according to Jefferson, it was a lot of kissing, obviously by two people that are well acquainted," Rumple replied, as Neal was dead silent for a moment.

"Two outsiders that know each other...it cannot be a coincidence," he added.

"Tamara is not an outsider! That's what this is about, isn't it? You don't like her, so you're making up crap!" Neal accused.

"My dislike of her is irrelevant! That's not what this is," Rumple insisted.

"Yeah right! First Emma is on me about her and now you...I don't believe this!" Neal shouted.

"And why, pray tell, do you believe I would make this up?" Rumple questioned. Neal shrugged.

"I don't know! Maybe because you don't want to accept that I built a life for myself without you!" Neal accused.

"I would gain nothing from doing that...do you really think I would tell you that your fiance is cheating on you if it weren't the truth?! That I would do something like that to purposely hurt you?!" Gold retorted. Neal was silent and that silence was a sobering dose of reality for Rumpelstiltskin.

"So you do…" he realized.

"If you thought you were doing what was best for me...then yeah, I think you'd do it," Neal admitted.

"Well...then I surmise that there is nothing more I can say to convince you of what Jefferson saw. I should have known that coming from me...you wouldn't believe it. Perhaps you'd like to ask him for yourself," Rumple suggested.

"No thanks...he works for you," Neal responded. Rumple swallowed thickly, as silence settled between them again.

"Your fiance is acquainted with our other outsider and I'm not the only one worried that she means danger to this town...and the people we care for," Rumple stated.

"Tamara is not dangerous! And your word isn't proof to me that she supposedly knows this Greg Mendell...so what if she does? It doesn't prove anything!" Neal argued.

"It proves that Greg Mendell is not here by accident!" Gold retorted hotly.

"Nothing happens by chance or coincidence...that you know for certain," he added and Neal couldn't disagree with that.

"You may not believe me or Jefferson...but will you really doubt Emma's instincts about this woman?" Rumple questioned.

"Yes...because she doesn't know her like I do!" Neal insisted.

"Or perhaps you don't know her as well as you think," Rumple retorted. Neal shook his head.

"We're done…" he said, as he started to leave.

"So that's it...your son could be in danger and you're choosing to ignore all the signs that something is off with that woman?" Rumple called. Neal clenched his teeth and turned back.

"Don't!" he snapped.

"Don't you dare use Henry to get your way on this!" he growled, as he walked out and slammed the shop door behind him. He was furious, but Rumple could only hope that meant that his son was struggling internally with the inconsistencies regarding Tamara that not even he could ignore. He only hoped that was enough to keep him on guard, because if it wasn't and Rumple lost him again...he knew this time, it really would kill him…

~*~

Hook and Regina arrived at the library. Fortunately for them, Belle was out that day and they arrived at the elevator.

"This why it's a two-man job? You need me to lower you?" Hook asked.

"No...it used to be. Before magic," she replied, as she used hers to operate the elevator and they descended into the cavern below. As they touched down and stepped off the elevator.

"Do you ever wonder if this constant pursuit of revenge is the reason that we have no one who cares for us? I mean, when this is all over, and I know he Crocodile is dead, for good and all, I'll have nothing to look forward to," he mentioned.

"My life will be empty. Revenge may sate your being. But don't misunderstand me, my dear, it's an end and not a beginning," he added.

"For you, maybe. But not me. I have Henry...and destroying Storybrooke? Well, that seems like a small price to pay to allow us to live in peace," she surmised. Hook extended his arm to guide Regina further into the depths and she saw that he was wearing a cuff that once belonged to her mother.

"Where did you get that? It belonged to my mother," Regina questioned.

"Yes. Well, she enchanted it so I could climb the beanstalk, back in our world," he responded.

"I don't care why she gave it to you. It's hers and I want it back," Regina snapped.

"You plan to blow this town off the map and you're worried about a scrap of cowhide?" he questioned.

"She was my mother," Regina reminded.

"Well, she was my friend," he countered.

"Hardly," Regina scoffed, as she took the cuff from him and put it on her wrist.

"Now, follow me closely," Regina ordered, as they walked along the precipice of the cavern, careful not to fall into the depths below.

"Precarious. You couldn't have just hidden this trigger in the back of your wardrobe?" he asked.

"It had to be both well hidden and well guarded, though the well guarded part is no longer the case since those idiots freed Maleficent. Even if we weren't going to use it, it would have been time for me to move it's location anyway," Regina stated, as they arrived at a dusty glass coffin.

"Seriously? This is where it is?" he questioned.

"Where my revenge started...I had her and then her Prince came along and ruined it," she hissed.

"Ah...true love," he mused, as Regina thrust her hand through the glass and pulled out a velvet pouch. Hook watched curiously, as she pulled out a large black diamond.

"That's it?" he asked curiously. She nodded.

"The trigger that can end Storybrooke," she confirmed.

"Well then, love...I'd say we have what we came for down here," Hook said, as they boarded the elevator and returned to the surface, only to find Greg and Tamara waiting for them.

"What is this?" Regina questioned, as she looked at Hook.

"Just a couple of interlopers that want a piece in our plan, love," he responded. She smirked.

"Right...you're the woman engaged to my son's father. And you? I know now that Greg Mendell is just an alias for Owen Flynn," Regina retorted.

"You're right, Regina. I no longer go by the name Owen Flynn though...because of you and what you did," he growled. She snorted.

"And what about you? Why would you help this man if you're engaged to Neal Cassidy?" Regina questioned, as she looked between them and chuckled.

"So...it's like that…" she surmised.

"This isn't about Neal...this is about magic," Tamara interjected.

"Yes...they have a way with magic or rather against it...which means they are my best path to my revenge. I am sorry though, love. I didn't come to this decision lightly," Hook retorted.

"I'm sure," she spat, as she glared at the pair.

"Enough of this," Regina growled, as she attempted to summon a fireball in her palm. But it didn't work and she looked at her hand, as if it had betrayed her.

"Yeah, sorry...that's not going to work. Not anymore," Greg hissed.

~*~

Since their appointment at the hospital and confirmation of what they already knew, Snow and Charming had been walking on air a bit. They still needed to deliver the news about how Tamara was cheating on Neal to their daughter, but they agreed it was best to do so in person. Despite everything going on though, they couldn't help their giddiness and decided to go back to the station to wait for her. But when they arrived, their joy melted away, as they found Happy unconscious. David slapped the dwarf a couple times on the cheeks and he finally came to with a painful groan.

"Ugh...that really hurt…" he complained.

"What happened?" David demanded to know.

"Charming…" Snow said, as she was looking at the piece of paper that had been next to Happy.

"I think I know…" she uttered.

~*~

Regina looked at the black cuff with scrutiny and then at Hook.

"The cuff...you gave me this," she accused.

"No, you rather took it with vehemence, love," he corrected.

"You knew I would want it!" she cried.

"True…" Hook confirmed, as he gestured to the two outsiders.

"They rigged it with something that blocks your magic. It's impressive," Hook complimented.

"So...little bitty Owen does grown up magic if his own now," Regina hissed.

"It's not magic. Actually, this is something much better...science," Greg retorted, as the former Queen kept pulling at the cuff.

"You can stop doing that, it's not going to work. You might be able to get rid of the leather, but inside are the toughest metals and machinery known to man. And right now, they're counteracting every magic bone in your body," he boasted.

"Which one is she?" Tamara questioned, as she looked at her list.

"Uh...she was the Queen. The Evil Queen," he stated.

"Yes, I was the Queen," Regina confirmed.

"But now...here you're nothing," he retorted.

"And what are you?" she countered.

"I'm just a man...a man on a mission," Greg answered.

"And all this just to try and find your father. I already told you...I don't know where…" Regina insisted.

"Yes, you do!" he snapped.

"But that's not my mission," he continued.

"Then what is?" she questioned. He smirked in amusement.

"I'm not telling you. Bag her," he said, as Tamara put a bag over her head.

~*~

After Neal and Tamara left, Emma and Henry sneaked up to their room, where Emma proceeded to pick the lock.

"Did Dad teach you to do this?" Henry asked curiously. She smiled.

"He did...though surprisingly your Grams is really good at lock picking too," she replied and then looked at him.

"And no...he's not teaching this to you," she said, knowing that was where he was going.

"But it might be a useful skill someday," he retorted. She chuckled.

"Nice try," she said, as the lock clicked and the door opened.

"So once we find proof that Tamara is evil...I guess the wedding is off?" Henry asked, as they went in.

"Henry...Neal and I are not getting back together. You know that, right?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I mean, once he's single, it could happen. There could be music...and moonlight...and wine," he surmised. She sighed.

"Listen to me, Henry, I am onto Tamara for other reasons; not because she's with Neal, okay?" she asked. But before he could answer that he understood, they heard whispers, but she was relieved that it wasn't Neal.

"You need to go be the look out," she told him, as she ushered him out.

"But...what do I do? Whistle?" he asked.

"No, that's too obvious. You gotta hit the door. You know, just like this," Emma demonstrated, as she kicked the door.

"Like you're bored or stumble into it," she explained. He nodded.

"Hit the door," he replied.

"Yeah," she confirmed, as she went back inside to look around. She started by sifting through the drawers and the desk, but when she came up empty there, she moved onto the closet and under the bed. Her brow furrowed in frustration when neither of those yielded any results...until she stepped on a creaky board.

"Gotcha…" Emma said, as she heard him kick the door.

Neal rounded the corner to his room, still fuming about the conversation with his father, and was surprised to see his son waiting for him.

"Uh...hey Henry, what's…" Neal said, as he watched his son kick the door.

"Oh hell no, I taught her that. Emma!" he called, as he burst into the room with their guilty looking son.

"So you weren't here and the door was open…" she fibbed. He sighed.

"Emma...what's this about?" he questioned.

"Tamara...I think she's playing you," Emma confessed.

"Not you too," he muttered.

"How? How is she playing me?" he questioned.

"I don't know, but she's definitely up to something and what do you mean not me too?" she retorted.

"Oh, I just had a wonderful conversation with my father about some nonsense his stooge, Jefferson, concocted for him," Neal replied.

"What did Jefferson say?" Emma asked curiously.

"Apparently, my father wants me to believe that Jefferson, who spies on the town with a telescope of all things, saw Tamara locking lips with that outsider, Greg Mendell, last night. Which is crap," Neal replied.

"Why do you think it's crap?" Emma asked.

"Because Jefferson works for my father! He probably made it up, because my Dad doesn't like Tamara!" Neal exclaimed, like it was obvious.

"Oh my God...you are such an idiot!" Emma exclaimed back, as her phone started ringing.

"Why? Why am I an idiot?" Neal shouted back, as Henry watched them back and forth.

"Because Jefferson doesn't work for him anymore, stupid! He's a free agent and he doesn't lie about what he sees!" Emma shouted back.

"How do you know that?" Neal asked. She sighed and answered her phone.

"Hey Dad…" she answered.

"Emma...I think we have a huge problem," he said.

"Yeah...I'm starting to think so too. We're on our way to the station now," she replied, as she hung up and looked at him.

"Because it was my Dad that asked Jefferson to keep an eye on things around town, ever since Greg Mendell crashed into town. So, if he's working for anyone, which he's not, he's working for the Sheriff's department," Emma snapped, as she started toward the door.

"Let's go Henry," she called.

"Did Gramps say what was wrong?" Henry asked.

"No...I'm guessing it's not something he wants to get into over the phone, but if I had to guess, I'd say Greg Mendell and his make out partner are involved," Emma replied.

"Wait...you're taking Henry?" Neal asked.

"Yep, there's no way I'm letting him out of my sight now that I know our outsiders are probably dangerous. You coming?" she asked. He sighed and his mouth hung open in disbelief. This had to be wrong...it had to. Tamara couldn't be involved...but now there was only one way to find out.

"Fine…" he relented, as he followed them out to the bug.

~*~

August sighed, as he sat in the Goddess' small loft residence above her shop. He still didn't know what a Goddess like Hecate was doing in New York City, running a small herbal shop, but his mind was sufficiently blown by hers and Mushu's story. Though he was still confused on a lot of things.

"So...basically everything we've ever read about Circe and mythology is wrong," August stated. Hecate smirked.

"You mean the part where she seduced Odysseus and bore him three sons, because he was so wonderful?" she asked sarcastically. August smirked.

"So...you're saying men embellished those stories a bit," he surmised.

"Some of them...though the part where Zeus pretty much screws anything that moves is completely true," Hecate answered.

"So...for Circe's crimes against the Gods and humanity...she was banished here to the Land Without Magic," he stated. Mushu nodded.

"Magic was like a drug to her...and addiction. As much as it broke our hearts...power was soon the only thing she cared about. Her corruption was devastating to us, as was her banishment. But it was the only way to save all the realms from her darkness," he said sadly.

"As you can imagine, being banished to a place without magic is quite possibly the worst punishment she could ever receive and so began her quest to destroy what she could not have," Hecate added.

"So...this Home Office. She's the one behind it all?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes...and she has minions in this realm and many others," Mushu replied.

"So...where do you two come in? Did you come to this land to stop her?" he asked.

"After she was banished, I returned to my homeland for a time and resumed my duties as a guardian," Mushu explained.

"To the Fa family," August stated and the Dragon confirmed it with a nod.

"Of course...my abrupt leaving years earlier had brought disgrace upon me and the Fa family," he added.

"And you left, because you fell in love?" he asked.

"Yes...we were young and foolish," Hecate confirmed.

"But I soon showed the other ancestors why I am the superior guardian when I helped bring honor back to the Fa family in a way none of those idiots ever could," Mushu boasted.

"Then I assume you speak of Mulan and her story?" August asked. He nodded.

"Shortly after the war, I received the summons from Hecate that we had to leave. The Dark Curse was going to take an exorbitant amount of magic to this land and we knew Circe would sense it the moment she felt it," Mushu explained.

"We didn't know exactly what she would do, but if she were to come into her magic in this land...it would be incredibly devastating. She failed to take over in our realm, but there are not numerous Gods in this land to stop her this time," Hecate added. August shook her head.

"That's what I don't understand. Why does she have minions of the Home Office running around, supposedly destroying magic?" August asked.

"Because she is a master manipulator...like her father," Hecate answered, as a cool look passed between the former lovers.

"She could not recruit believers...that's too difficult. No one believes in magic in this land anymore. But to recruit those to hate something...now that is very easy. Her followers think they are destroying magic...but they are really only collecting it for her," Hecate explained.

"So...if Storybrooke is somehow destroyed by some magical cataclysmic event...what exactly would that mean for the magic there? It would be destroyed too, right?" he asked.

"So Circe's followers would hope...but not exactly. We're talking the mother load of magic here," Hecate replied.

"Okay...so say the worst happens and Storybrooke is blown off the map. What happens to the magic?" August demanded to know urgently. Mushu exchanged a glance with the Goddess.

"We aren't exactly certain, but an explosion like that, if our daughter was within range of it...we believe she would be able to absorb the magic, especially if she were using means that this world could provide her with," Mushu said.

"Means?" August asked.

"He means science. She has scientists that are able to combat and control magic, so it would only make sense that they might have developed ways to absorb or contain it as well," Hecate replied. August stood up.

"We need to go to Storybrooke…" he realized.

"Yes...I believe we do. If two of her minions are there already, it will not be long until she mobilizes more of her followers," Hecate said.

"And these followers...they're just normal people?" August asked. They nodded.

"They're everywhere. Most of them have regular jobs...some are highly educated and even hold government positions," Hecate confirmed worriedly.

"And positions in law enforcement as well," Mushu added.

"Just how deep does this all go?" August asked.

"Very deep...our daughter has had twenty-eight years to build her following, and if she gets her magic back...this land will become her Empire," Hecate warned.

"I have to warn everyone in Storybrooke," August said said with urgency...


	68. Betrayal and Revenge

Chapter 68: Betrayal and Revenge

Zelena burst into Hades' house that morning with a pleased smirk on her face.

"I guess knocking is overrated," he commented, as he enjoyed a cup of coffee.

"You know...it's things like this that mortals take for granted. Good coffee...the coffee in the Underworld is sucks. So does the food and the booze...no matter what magic you try to work on it. There's just nothing like the real stuff in the land of the living," he said. She rolled her eyes.

"So glad you're enjoying the Land Without Magic and all its comforts. But prepare for it to get even better," she said. He looked to her.

"I'm guessing you have news," he prompted.

"It's happened...Snow White is with child," she announced. He chuckled.

"I know," he replied. She frowned.

"What do you mean...you know? I just found out myself and that was tricky at best with your wife around. Don't tell me she's made a birth announcement to you of all people?" Zelena asked. He chuckled.

"Don't be silly...but the arrival of Artemis kind of tipped me off," he replied.

"Artemis?" Zelena questioned.

"Yes...Persephone's dear sister. Goddess of the hunt, childbirth, among other things. Also an actual Doctor and since my wife is not fond at all of Dr. Frankenstein or his work, it only makes sense that she summoned Artemis," he surmised.

"Whatever...this means it's time to put our plan into action," she said.

"I think you're a bit premature...she's not even showing yet," Hades replied.

"Which means we have ample time to prepare everything," Zelena said.

"And I told you that I'm a silent partner on this," he reminded.

"Relax...she'll never know of your support and like I said, you can play the hero with her by pretending to denounce me," she said.

"Fine...but I encourage you not to reveal yourself yet. It's still too early," he warned.

"But my sister is at her lowest point...it's the perfect time. She has finally exhausted even her step-daughter's patience. No one will lift a finger to help her," Zelena responded.

"I wouldn't be so sure…" he warned. The redhead scoffed.

"There is no way Snow White can still be holding out hope that my sister will become good. Not even she is that hopeful...no one is that good, even that ridiculously named Princess," Zelena refuted. He chuckled.

"I think you'll be surprised when she shows you otherwise," he retorted. She sighed.

"How much longer do you expect me to wait?" she asked.

"At least until she's showing. Revealing your hand too early also gives them time to plan. I warn you not to underestimate my wife. She will do anything to protect Snow and her family...and especially her unborn grandchild. One step over that town line and Snow White is in a place with no magic and modern medicine," he reminded. She smirked.

"Fine...I'll bide my time for now. But when the times comes, I may have to do something about that town line," she said, as she disappeared in a puff of green smoke. He went back to sipping his coffee and waved his hand, magicking a crystal globe into existence. He seethed at the person sitting on his Throne now and clenched his teeth, causing the coffee mug in his hand to shatter. His hair flashed blue and his grip on the table left indentations.

"This won't stand...I will not be usurped. You are just lucky that I have an eye on a new Throne now," he hissed, as the image disappeared and he magicked the crystal globe away again, before attempting to calm his temper.

~*~

"Thanks Snow," Happy said, as she handed him a glass of water and he sipped at it.

"So…he came in here to report a crime?" David asked, as he crossed his arms over his chest, while looking at the piece of paper.

"That's what he said. I started getting nervous though when he said the crime happened twenty-eight years and six months ago," Happy answered.

"That would have been right around the day the curse brought us all here," Snow realized.

"I never thought about it before, but the curse did just drop a town in the middle of the woods," Happy stated.

"And if anyone had been within range, they could have suddenly been introduced to Storybrooke in a rude way," Snow mentioned.

"But I thought the town always had a barrier around it. Even if they were in the woods, they shouldn't have been able to get in, right?" Happy asked.

"Or maybe Storybrooke has a barrier, because of this man and his father. It would make sense as to why there's no barrier now," David surmised.

"So Regina took care of the problem and then shielded the town," Snow said, as a knot settled in her stomach.

"It's hard to say what she did to this man's father...we don't know that she killed him. She does like to lock people up," David tried to soothe.

"She also likes to kill people. She orphaned another child, David," Snow said angrily.

"I'm so stupid...she just never stops and I just keep believing there is hope for her," she spat. But he knelt before her.

"You are not stupid...hope is never wrong," he assured.

"Cora created the monster that Regina is, but it's looking like Regina created the monster that this Greg Mendell has become. The cycle just keeps repeating and it's up to me to end it. I started this," Snow said.

"My love...you are not responsible for what Regina became. You just said it was Cora and that is true. It's not all on you to fix this," he replied.

"But it is! Because I halted her execution and let all this happen," she lamented.

"Snow…" he tried to protest, as Emma hurried into the station with Neal and Henry.

"We got here as soon as we could," Emma said, as he handed her the pad of paper with Greg Mendell's message.

"Storybrooke ruined my life when it appeared and now I'm going to ruin it, starting with your Queen," Emma read the note.

"How did Storybrooke ruin his life?" Emma asked.

"From what Happy could gather, he came in here reporting a crime that happened twenty-eight years ago. He and his father somehow were around in this area when the town got dropped on them. We don't know the rest of the details, but obviously this Greg Mendell escaped. But his father didn't. Now he's back to find him and get revenge," David explained.

"You mean escaped Regina?" Emma asked. He nodded.

"We think so…" he confirmed.

"It's my fault...another child was orphaned, because of me," Snow said.

"Mom...listen to me. If this is anyone's fault, it's Regina's. The choices you made were out of compassion and I've learned from you that hope and compassion can never be wrong. You gave Regina a chance, more than once, to give up her revenge," Emma said.

"And she has killed people in return. There is a point that I have to take responsibility for her actions too," Snow refuted.

"No...she made her choices and I won't let you blame yourself for her evil, my darling," David protested.

"And we have way bigger problems than who to place blame on," Jefferson interjected, as he arrived with Gold, Belle, and Persephone in tow.

"Did you see something?" David asked.

"Yeah...your wayward pirate made his way into the library with Regina," Jefferson reported.

"But the cameras show Greg Mendell is the one that released him. Why would he work with Regina if she's the reason he lost his father?" Snow questioned.

"Because I think it's Hook that's working with them and I think they played Regina," Jefferson responded.

"After Hook and Regina went in, so did Greg and he wasn't alone," the Hatter said, as he glanced at Neal.

"Don't tell me…" he said.

"I'm sorry, but Tamara was with him and when they all came out, it was Regina as their captive with a bag over her head this time. I tried to keep an eye on them, but they must be aware that they might be being watched, because I lost them after that," he reported.

"They took my Mom?" Henry asked worriedly.

"We'll find her, Henry," Emma promised.

"How did they manage to overpower her though? She has magic," Belle wondered.

"That's a really good question and worrisome if they really do have a way to counter magic," Persephone said, as she and Gold shared an uncomfortable look.

"We'll have to deal with that when the time comes. For now, we need to find them," David suggested. Persephone offered a locator potion to him and he nodded.

"Thanks...now we just need something that belonged to Regina," he said. With a poof of red smoke, Gold materialized a scarf and handed it to him.

"Thanks," he said again, as they used the potion.

"Are you okay?" Emma questioned to Neal.

"Yeah...I think I'll have to get back to you on that," he commented, as he was still reeling from everything. Despite it all, he was still trying to hold out hope that this was all a big misunderstanding and Tamara hadn't betrayed him.

"Let's follow the trail," Emma said.

"I'm coming with you both," Snow said and David didn't bother to argue, as he took her hand. Truthfully, he didn't really want her out of his sight.

"Me too…" Neal added. Emma gave him a look.

"You sure that's a good idea? I need people out there with me that I know have my back...and my parents' backs," she said. He sighed.

"Emma...if she really is involved, then I deserve answers. I know I've betrayed you once before, but I think you know I'd never do anything to put our son in danger," he replied. Emma couldn't argue with that and nodded.

"We'll watch Henry," Belle offered.

"I'm going to go pay a visit to Hades. I'd like to know if he knows anything," Persephone stated.

"Do you think he'll actually tell you if does?" Rumple questioned.

"Not likely, but he has been acting very strange lately. I just have a feeling that there is still more going on here than we know," she replied, as she disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke.

"We better get going," Emma said, as they started following the scarf that they had enchanted with the locator potion.

~*~

"Did she have anything on her?" Greg asked. They had arrived at the Storybrooke cannery and were currently using one of the upper rooms as a base, among other things. In the background of the room, Regina was strapped down to a table and there was some strange equipment in the room that obviously didn't belong in a place like a cannery.

"Oh did she," Tamara said, as she had gone through Regina's coat. She pulled out a bean pod and showed it to him.

"Are these what I think they are?" he asked.

"Magic beans. Neal told me all about them. They open portals," she replied.

"I bet he told you a lot, huh?" Greg asked.

"Don't be jealous. As soon as we're done...this," she said, as she pointed to her engagement ring.

"Is coming off," she promised.

"Yeah, well, you can have this one instead," Greg replied, as he revealed a small pouch containing a black diamond.

"What the hell is that?" Tamara asked.

"I don't know...it was in her hand when we bagged her," Greg replied.

"We'll send it back with the rest of the data. I think the Home Office is gonna have a field day with everything we've collected so far," she mentioned.

"I still have one thing to do," Greg said, as he looked at the Queen.

"Make it quick. We'll be getting our instructions soon," Tamara advised.

"Oh, this isn't going to take long," he promised, as he walked back into the room with Regina and Hook, before moving before the large equipment panel.

"Whatever they're offering you...it's not worth it," Regina said to Hook.

"Well, considering they're offering to have me kill Rumpelstiltskin, I'd say it is," Hook countered.

"And you actually trust them? You don't even know who you're working for," Regina warned.

"Hello Regina," Greg greeted.

"Is this part of your mission?" she asked, as she watched him begin connecting the machine's wires to her.

"No...this is personal. See, this is about my father," he replied.

"I already told you...he left town," she told him.

"Yet he never came to find his only son?" he questioned, as he looked at Hook.

"Look...would you mind lending me a hand?" he asked and then chuckled.

"Preferably your good one," he added.

"Sorry mate...gonna have to say no. When you're interested in killing Rumpelstiltskin and not torturing the Queen, find me," Hook responded, as he left.

"Well...guess it's just you and me," Greg said, as he turned the machine on, one switch at a time.

"Is this supposed to frighten me?" Regina asked, eyeing the strange machine.

"Well...it should, you see this is how we deal with your kind. And yes, it's going to be unpleasant. Now, exactly how unpleasant...well, that depends on you. Now...where is my father?" he questioned, as the machine hummed in full activation. Regina was silent though, but with the flip of a switch, her tortured screams rang out.

~*~

Regina's scarf floated through town and led them down by the beach, as they trekked after it. Snow and David stayed a little ways back, allowing Neal and Emma to talk.

"Why is it leading us along the beach? What, is she hidden in a sandcastle?" Neal questioned. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Very funny...but usually these locator potions don't fail," she retorted.

"Wow...tough room. You're still pissed at me I take it," he mentioned.

"I'm not pissed at you...but you probably owe your Dad an apology. I know it's hard to imagine she's involved in all this, but that's the breaks. Betrayal sucks, you know?" she asked. He sighed.

"So...that's what this is about. This is about me betraying you. I guess you're not over it," he replied.

"Oh trust me, I'm over it and you," Emma shot back.

"No...I don't think you are. You don't just get over your first love that easily...I know from experience," he retorted, as they stopped and stared at each other.

"Do you really think this is about me or us? Or me trying to break up you and Tamara?" she questioned. He gave her a look.

"Isn't it?" he retorted. She sighed.

"What do you want to hear, Neal? That it killed me that you never came looking for me even once after I was locked up? Especially since now I know that you knew about the curse," she vented.

"Emma…" he started to say.

"That it didn't hurt that you found Tallahassee with someone else?" she asked, as she then noticed that Tamara herself had jogged up to her parents, just a short distance away.

~*~

"That conversation looks intense," Snow mentioned.

"And as much as we want to...we need to stay out of it," he reminded.

"I know...I wasn't going to interrupt. I just...I want our baby to be happy," she mentioned. He put his arms around her.

"As happy as we are," she added.

"I know...me too," he agreed.

"I just feel so bad that she's going through all this, while we get to be happy...you know, with the baby on the way," she mentioned.

"Hey...you know that Emma would never begrudge us our happiness," he reminded, as he kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes and then relished it, as he kissed her lips then. She smiled dreamily, as their lips parted, but then saw something out of her peripheral vision. They were both shocked to see that it was Tamara herself, seemingly jogging along the beach in exercise attire.

"Hey...Emma's parent's right? Didn't think I'd run into you all the way down here," she said, as she stopped for a breather.

"Yes...we were just taking a romantic stroll along the beach," David replied, but she didn't buy it, as she looked over his shoulder.

"Really? With Emma and my fiance?" she asked, as they noticed her presence too now.

"Hey...what are you doing down here? I thought you usually jogged in the woods," he said awkwardly.

"Yeah, I start in the woods, but then I run along the beach. Is that scarf floating?" she asked, looking at the garment that was floating next to Emma.

"Uh yeah...Regina is missing. We're using a locator potion on one of her scarves to lead us to her," Emma said bluntly. She raised an eyebrow.

"Really...so your Dad just lied to me about why you're all here? Like this is some romantic walk along the beach?" she questioned. David smirked.

"Snow and I are a bit unconventional when it comes to romantic escapades," he retorted. Snow smiled at him.

"He's right...we did fall in love when we were fighting for our lives against trolls," she agreed, as she clutched his arm and cuddled into his side.

"Interesting...the movie portrayed it very differently," she said in amusement. Snow smirked back, looking the woman in the eyes.

"Well, the movie is very wrong," she replied, a bit hotly.

"So...that's terrible that, you said it was...Regina that's missing?" Tamara asked, as she pulled her list out of her pocket.

"Oh...she's the Evil Queen?" she asked, uncomfortably.

"Yeah...it's a bit more complicated than that," Neal replied.

"Isn't the Queen the reason you're all here? I mean, why would you care about a woman that supposedly killed thousands and caused the suffering of countless more?" she questioned.

"How do you know that?" Emma asked suspiciously. She rolled her eyes.

"Henry's book...I read it," she revealed.

"Yet you didn't know that my parent's story doesn't even remotely resemble the movie version," Emma countered.

"Well...you have to admit, it was a lot and so many...characters to keep track of," Tamara shot back.

"We're people...not just some characters in a book," David snapped. She smirked.

"Maybe...but that's not how this world sees it," she reminded. It seemed like an innocent comment, but a bad feeling settled in Snow's gut at her words. Was Emma right? Had Tamara really told others about this town? And if so, who were they and what would the ramifications be?

"You know, I think we should get back to searching, my love," David said, which didn't surprise Snow. He had probably already sensed her unease and likely had his own trepidation about this woman now more than ever. But Tamara smirked at them with a glare.

"You two aren't going anywhere," Tamara hissed, as she pulled a gun on them.

"Whoa...Tamara, what the hell?!" he exclaimed, as he started toward her.

"Not another step, Neal...or Snow White gets a bullet in the head," she warned. Emma grabbed him and made him stop, as the woman pointed a gun at her mother.

David stepped in front of Snow, guarding her and the baby with his own body. Snow clutched onto his jacket for dear life, fearing that she really would shoot her husband. Tamara snatched the scarf, canceling the locator potion and Emma glanced at the nearest structure, which turned out to be the cannery building.

"That's it...that's where Regina and your partner are, isn't it?" the blonde questioned.

"You two...start walking or Mommy and Daddy both get lead poisoning," she threatened. Emma glared at her and turned, as she and Neal did as she asked. Snow glowered at her too

"Move along Princess...or that brat you're carrying will be fatherless," she threatened, as she leveled the gun at David. He put his arm around her and cuddled her close, as they followed Emma and Neal, with Tamara behind them, marching them toward the cannery building.

~*~

The Underworld

Prince Eli sat in the intriguing office. From what he had learned in his short time since his rebirth, or sorts, was that this town they resided in was known as Underbrooke. And they were the souls with unfinished business. It was a strange place, with even stranger clothing. And he was still getting used to his new position. It was as Mayor of Underbrooke and the power had been graciously bestowed upon him by the Underworld's new King. He had rewarded Eli by helping him to oust Hades from his own throne. From the moment Eli had emerged from the river of lost souls, he had one thing on his mind and that had been revenge.

Long ago, he would have never entertained such a thing. But three decades of torment in the river of pain and suffering had hardened him into someone he didn't recognize at times. Hades had merely laughed at him when he promised to have his revenge against the God of the Underworld for killing him and taking him away from his precious Persephone, whom he was a bit saddened to learn had managed to flee from this place. He had been eager for a reunion with the woman he loved, but to know she had done it join their child in the world of the living consoled him a bit.

Hades had underestimated the lengths he had gone to for revenge though and he was far more clever than the God gave him credit for. The look on Hades face when he faced the new King of the Underworld, a figure that Eli had been responsible for restoring, had been incredibly satisfying. His revenge had continued when the new ruler had taken back control of the vicious Cerberus and chased Hades off his own Throne. Eli had been rewarded for helping his new King richly and delighted in the torment of Hades. He had proceeded to let his revenge consume him and there was still a satisfactory gleam in Eli's eyes when he recalled Hades' tortured screams.

Sadism was definitely a new thing for the prince, but then he was certain no one would blame him, for the torture he inflicted on Hades had only been a tenth of what he himself had experienced in that dreaded river. Eli planned to march Hades to his demise by tossing him into the river, alive and allowing all the souls to literally consume him in a torment that would have been eternal for him. But the former King of the Underworld had managed to escape to the land of the living; something he was certain was impossible. But he was quickly told by his King what had occurred: Hermes had dared to take the blood of Snow White and use it to allow Hades passage into the world of the living. It had enraged Eli that he could not follow, for though he was now whole again, he was still dead. So, he bided his time and assuaged his rage by learning all he could about Persephone and her family...his family. He had also established a stern rule on his new town and as he left his office to stroll among his subjects, he enjoyed their worship. He had never much taken to all the bowing and such in life, but he was quite enjoying it in death after all he had been through.

He made his way through town and nodded to Underbrooke's Sheriff, as he passed by. He had learned that this man was the twin of his little girl's husband, who he was a bit miffed to find out wasn't a real prince at all. He had also been told that his Persephone adored her daughter's husband though, so he let that note of disappointment go.

He then nodded to King Leopold, the man that had raised his daughter. He found him to be a bit insufferable and his adoration of his little girl a bit unsettling for reasons he didn't want to entertain, but the man made a good subordinate.

As he made his way to the catacombs beneath town, he took great satisfaction, as he passed the woman that he had forced to mill flour upon her arrival. He was quickly informed of the torment that this woman had inflicted up on his Persephone and Snow and therefore punished her in return. She glowered at him, as he passed and he smirked smugly, before continuing on.

When he reached the Throne room, the place formerly occupied by Hades, where the five rivers converged, he knelt before the Throne. He was the Mayor, but this man was his King and the reason he would have his revenge.

"Your Majesty…" he greeted. The figure did not acknowledge his presence, but that wasn't unusual. The new King would lead them and his revenge against Hades would be complete…

~*~

Persephone arrived at the house that Hades had taken over and stormed inside after bypassing his protections.

"My Queen...to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked nonchalantly, as she found him in the garden. A garden full of snowdrops.

"What is this?" she questioned.

"Oh...my garden. Do you like it?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're playing at, but if you think planting a yard full of snowdrops is going to get on my good side, you're sadly mistaken," she warned. He chuckled.

"Oh, I know it would take more than that. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I need to know if you know anything about our outsiders," she replied.

"I don't believe so...you know I've never much concerned myself with mortals, especially ones that long ago stopped believing in anything," Hades answered. Her first instinct was to think he was lying, but in reality, what he said was true. He barely noticed the existence of mortals when they were in the Underworld, unless they were doing something he didn't like. He had only ever taken interest in mortals that could serve a purpose for him and she doubted Greg or Tamara fit that description.

"Why do you ask?" he inquired.

"Regina is missing and I think these outsiders are working with the pirate," she answered.

"Ah, Killian Jones, he is one that has cheated death far too long, if you want my opinion," he commented.

"We can both agree on that, I suppose," she said.

"So...you think these outsiders have kidnapped the Queen?" he questioned, as he poured himself another drink.

"Yes...and we're concerned," she responded. He raised an eyebrow.

"You're concerned or Snow is concerned?" he questioned. She sighed.

"Do not even start lecturing me...Snow is good. She is better than any of us and while her belief in Regina may be naive, I will always support her," Persephone ranted.

"Easy...I wasn't going to criticize. Far from it actually. I meant what I said, you know," he reminded. It was her raising an eyebrow this time.

"If everyone was just a little more like your daughter...well, I don't think it would be a bad thing," he added.

"But you're the most unforgiving person in existence," she reminded. He nodded.

"I was...that is very true. And I've paid for it. Probably not enough...but I have," he replied.

"What does that even mean?!" she questioned in exasperation. He looked as though he actually might tell her for a moment, but his viewing globe swirled at her command, as she wanted to check on her daughter. And she gasped at what she saw.

"I take it this is your outsider…" he mentioned.

"One of them...and she's holding a gun on my family!" she cried, as she disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke. Hades continued to watch the woman march the four toward the cannery. Perhaps it was time for him to get involved. Persephone was never going to believe his words. But his actions might show her that he meant those words...


	69. Devil in Disguise

Chapter 69: Devil in Disguise

Snow clutched Charming's arm, as Tamara forced them to walk down the stairs in the cannery building to one of the basement level.

"The hell is this?" Greg questioned, as he saw that he had company.

"Sorry Greg...but they know, which means I had to detain them. I sent word to the Home Office and we'll deal with them according to orders," Tamara replied.

"What's the Home Office?" Emma questioned.

"None of your business," Tamara responded.

"How are things with the Queen?" she asked her partner. Snow craned her neck and saw that Regina was strapped down to a table.

"What are you doing to her?" Snow asked.

"She has information I need, though she's not being very cooperative. But that's about to change, right Regina?" he questioned, as he flipped the machine on, this time at an even higher power level and the former Queen's screams were bone chilling. Snow cried out in horror and covered her mouth, before turning away and burrowing into her husband's arms. Greg turned it off and eyed the princess with scrutiny.

"You should be enjoying this...she hates you. How many times has she tried to kill you?" he questioned. But Snow didn't answer and choked back sobs, as David held her.

"Looks like revenge is a little too much for the fairest of them all to stomach," Tamara commented offhandedly, as David glared at her. But Greg wasn't letting it go.

"No...you should be enjoying this. She tried to ruin your life...she did ruin mine!" he cried.

"Back off…" David growled, but Greg ignored him, as Snow turned her tear stained face to him.

"Tell me why...why don't you want this? After everything I know that she did to you? They told me all the things she did!" he hissed. Snow sniffed.

"Because she was once good...and I know that person isn't gone," Snow confessed.

"I know she's not...because she has finally learned to love. She loves her son and I know she can change...even if she doesn't," the raven haired beauty confessed. Greg looked appalled by her confession.

"No...that's...you stupid, naive little Princess!" he roared.

"HEY!" David growled.

"Yell at her or call her one more name and I'll rip your fucking head off," David seethed, as he held her protectively.

"She did something! She probably killed my father! She killed yours or at least the man that raised you!" he reminded. Snow sniffed.

"No one can forgive something like that...no one is that good," he spat. Snow turned to him.

"I know! I know what she has done...better than anyone! But revenge...it won't get you what you want. Only forgiveness and hope can lead to a path of true happiness," Snow implored, as she looked fondly at her husband.

"You're actually asking me to lay aside my revenge?" Greg questioned.

"Yes...and not for Regina. For the rescue of your own soul. Revenge will blacken your heart and change you into someone you don't recognize," Snow said, as Regina weakly turned her head and met her eyes.

"Walking a path to redemption is probably the hardest thing you'll ever do...but I promise it will be worth it," Snow said and it was clear to everyone now that she was talking to both Greg and Regina. A tear slipped down Regina's cheek, but Greg snorted derisively.

"You really think I can earn forgiveness?" he asked. Snow smiled.

"I know you can," she implored. He actually looked like he was considering her words for a moment...until he burst out laughing at her.

"You're serious...is she seriously always like this? Or is she punking me?" Greg joked, as he looked back at Regina.

"No joke...this is her, twenty-four seven. An endless well of hope and forgiveness, who thinks that rainbow stickers and unicorn kisses make everything better," Regina rasped. Snow frowned and David clenched his teeth in anger.

"Let's see...would you really forgive anything?" Greg asked, as Tamara handed him the gun.

"How about if I shoot your hubby in the head? Would you forgive that?" Greg asked, as he pointed it at Charming.

"Or your daughter...would you forgive me if I put a bullet in her?" he questioned. Snow looked down, clearly bothered by his blatant mocking of her. Greg smirked and handed the gun back to Tamara.

"Lucky for you, Snow White...my revenge isn't against you. Her...on the other hand," Greg said, as he returned to the room, where Regina lay helpless.

"Let's see if we can get some cooperation out of you, after all," he stated, as he turned the machine on again. This time, he turned up the voltage and her excruciating cries rang out, until he finally turned it off again. Snow covered her mouth again and buried her face in David's chest.

"You have no idea...who you're dealing with," Regina warned in a weak voice.

"Actually no, you have no idea who you are dealing with," Greg retorted.

"A couple of fools in over their heads, who go around stealing magic," she stated.

"Stealing magic?" Tamara asked with a chuckle.

"That's what you think we're here to do?" she questioned rhetorically.

"We're not here to steal magic. We're here to to destroy it," Greg stated. Dread settled in David and Snow's stomachs at that. Would they try to destroy Emma next?

"Magic does not belong in this world. It's unholy. We're here to cleanse this land of it," Tamara stated. It was Regina's turn to chuckle.

"You really think you can destroy magic? Just the two of you?" she asked.

"Well, who said there's only two of us? Oh, we're everywhere, Regina. See, after I left Storybrooke as a boy, I was babbling about magic, about what I had seen and what had happened to my father. Most folk wrote me off. But some didn't and they found me," he explained.

"They?" Regina asked.

"Believers. People that know that magic is real," he answered.

"And that it doesn't belong in this world and are willing to do something about it," Tamara added.

"This little quest of yours...to cleanse the world of magic. It's not going to work," Regina warned.

"No, of course it will. We've done it before and we'll do it again. Do you think Storybrooke is the first time that magic has crossed over into this world?" Greg questioned.

"Magic has been doing its damage for a long time," Tamara continued.

"And people like us...we're here to stop it," Greg said, as he turned the machine back on. Regina cried out again, just Emma slowly raised her hands, preparing to use her magic to disarm Tamara. But in a move that shocked her to her core, Tamara shot Neal in the stomach and then pointed the gun at her parents, even as she and Snow screamed.

"You release one ounce of magic and your parents are next," Tamara threatened, as Emma put her hands up. Tamara smirked and put a black cuff on the blonde, watching her sink to her knees and put her hand on his wound.

"Emma…" he rasped.

"Please...let me heal him," Emma pleaded.

"Heal him and your father dies," Tamara warned.

"It's okay…" Neal said, so Emma did what she could and used her scarf to pack the wound.

"Just hang on," she said, as she looked at her parents.

"No...I need to get this out, just in case," Neal stammered.

"It kills me that I let August talk me into letting you go...it was the worst decision I ever made," he said.

"I...I wanted to look for you, but I was afraid," he admitted.

"Of what?" Emma asked.

"That you would never forgive me...because I never forgave myself. There hasn't been a day that's gone by that I don't regret having left you. I'm sorry Emma...for everything," he replied. She sniffed.

"Me too," she replied.

"Well...good to know you're not too upset about our obviously broken engagement," Tamara snorted. But they ignored her, as Snow and David looked on them fondly. Emma and Neal were finally healing and maybe they could move on together. But that would only happen if they got out of this alive.

Then, like a beacon of hope, Persephone appeared to save them. She disarmed Tamara and raised her hands to stop the two outsiders. Snow smiled and then cried out, as her mother was suddenly hit with an incredible blast of indigo colored electricity and fell to the ground unconscious. They looked to the source and found a woman they didn't recognize standing there with a weapon in her hand that looked like a blaster of some sort.

"Who...who are you?" Snow questioned. The woman was thin and wore a smart black pantsuit with indigo colored accents and gold jewelry. Her hair was a light brown, with blonde highlights, except for one thick strand on her right side that was colored blue as an accent. She was quite beautiful, with smoldering brown eyes and full, glossed lips.

"She's our boss. Meet the head of the Home Office," Tamara introduced.

"Yes...my name is Becca Keres," the woman stated. But somehow, Snow and David sensed that there was much more to this woman and her supposedly ordinary sounding name, at least for the first name.

"Keres..that's unusual. It's Greek...isn't it?" Snow questioned. Becca smirked.

"Very good, Snow White...I'm betting that you know the meaning behind my last name," she replied.

"I do...it means evil spirits and Rebecca means to ensnare," Snow replied. Becca smirked.

"I can see the gears turning in your head and I'm sure your mother will enlighten you about me more, but let's make sure we take the fight out of her too," Becca said, as she produced another black cuff and put it on Persephone's wrist, while gazing at Snow and David smugly. Snow shivered, as the woman seemed to look right through her.

"We didn't think you'd come in person when you received all the data," Tamara said. Becca smirked.

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for anything. I've had my eye on Storybrooke for a very long time...and now it's time for the final phase of my plan," she stated.

~*~

Belle paced in the loft. They had taken Henry back home to wait there, but they were all restless.

"They should have been back with Regina by now," Belle whispered quietly to Rumple, who sat at the table.

"I know," he agreed, as he stood up.

"I'm going to look for them," he announced.

"Let me come with you," Belle pleaded.

"Someone has to stay with Henry…" he reminded.

"Or...we could all just go," the boy interjected.

"That's not an option…" Rumple refuted. Henry shrugged.

"Mom Emma always tells me that I shouldn't be involved too, but then she knows I'm just going to be anyway. So...we give it an operation name and I tag along. That way she can keep an eye on me," he suggested.

"Nice try...but still not happening. If something happened to you...Bae would never forgive me," he added, as he picked up a scarf, one that he had seen David wear before.

He poured a locator potion over it and kissed Belle gently.

"Please be careful...if they're in trouble, there is no telling what they walked into," she pleaded.

"I will," he promised, as he called Jefferson on his way down the steps.

"Have you heard from them?" Jefferson answered.

"No...and none of them are answering calls or texts. I'm using my own locator potion now and I'm being led to the east end of town," Rumple responded.

"I'll catch up to you," Jefferson said, as he hung up and Rumple continued on.

~*~

Persephone groaned in pain and Snow looked to her, as she and David sat huddled next to her prone form.

"Mom…" Snow whispered, as she sat up.

"Snow...are you both okay?" she asked. They nodded.

"But Regina isn't...that man is torturing her and she shot Neal," Snow replied. She nodded.

"Greg Mendell is the name he's going by, but I'd bet money that it's an alias," Emma said, as she continued to put pressure on Neal's wound.

"How is he?" Persephone questioned.

"I'm okay…" Neal answered.

"We need to stop the bleeding...or better yet heal him. But…" Emma said, gesturing to the woman now speaking with Tamara. And for the first time, Persephone got a look at her attacker. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"She says her name is Becca Keres," David said.

"But by the look on your face, I'd say that's an alias too," Emma added.

"It is," Persephone replied.

"She says she's head of this Home Office...and that their goal is to destroy magic. But I doubt she's been completely straight with her minions, who seem to follow her blindly," Emma said.

"I'm sure they do...she's very persuasive, especially to mortals," Persephone replied.

"Mortals? Then she's...like you?" Snow asked. Persephone nodded.

"Yes…" Persephone confirmed, as the woman turned to her.

"It's been a long time, Persephone" the woman stated.

"It has indeed...Circe," she revealed. Tamara looked confused by that.

"Circe?" she questioned. Emma snorted.

"It figures you two geniuses have no idea who the hell you're working for," she commented. Tamara glowered at her and waved her gun.

"Watch it blondie...or you might get a bullet like your baby daddy," she threatened.

"Was any of it real?" Neal questioned, as he looked Tamara straight in the eyes. She was quiet for a moment.

"Was any of it real?!" he shouted and then hissed in pain.

"Easy...you can't be doing that," Emma scolded him. Their attention was captured though when Greg slammed his fists on the table that Regina.

"Tell me where he is!" Greg screamed.

"He's dead…" Persephone chimed in. Greg's head whipped toward her.

"How do you know that?" he hissed.

"Because I am Queen of the Underworld...I remember him," she revealed. His eyes narrowed, as he stalked toward them.

"You're lying!" he hissed.

"He's alive...she has him somewhere?!" Greg ranted. His voice was thick with grief and his eyes were almost crazed.

"No Owen...I'm sorry," Persephone said sincerely.

"Owen?" Emma questioned.

"That's your given name...and your father was Kurt. He passed through to the Underworld twenty-eight years and six months ago," Persephone told him. He swallowed thickly.

"She killed him...after I left?" he asked, as he looked back at the Queen, who weakly turned her head.

"You killed him?!" he cried. She smirked weakly, as if enjoying his pain.

"Yes...I killed him," she confessed. Snow closed her eyes, as the worst was confirmed.

"And you'll pay!" Greg growled.

"No Owen...this isn't what he would want," Persephone pleaded.

"And how do you know that? He deserves justice!" Greg growled.

"He does, but this isn't how he gets it, not at the cost of your soul!" she reminded.

"Don't listen to her, Greg. The Queen should pay dearly for her crimes. She killed your father and now you must kill her," Circe advised.

"I don't understand any of this," Tamara interjected.

"You told us that your name was Becca Keres. Who is this Circe?" she demanded to know.

"In this world, I am exactly who I told you," Circe responded.

"So...you're from there, like them?" Tamara asked.

"I am...and when they cast me out, it nearly destroyed me so I have dedicated my life to destroying them," Circe responded.

"Still lying to them, I see," Persephone countered.

"Enough of this," Greg spat.

"I don't care who she is! I want my revenge," he said.

"Then take it, my charge," Circe goaded.

"Don't do that, Owen. Your father is still in the Underworld...he hasn't moved on. And if you do this...if you continue to darken your soul...he never will," Persephone implored. Circe scoffed.

"She's lying...she's just trying to save the Queen, because her precious brat of a daughter wants her to," Circe stated. Greg looked between them, obviously torn.

"You're his unfinished business, Owen. Please...killing Regina will only lead to more suffering. Death will only bring more death and suffering...I know," Persephone responded.

"No...her death will eradicate more magic," Circe countered.

"But that's not true either, is it, Circe?" a new voice said, as Hades carefully walked toward them. Tamara pointed her gun at him and he put his hands up in surrender.

"Well, well, do my eyes deceive me? Hades himself walks among the living again," Circe goaded.

"It's been a long time, Circe. You were always very good at sending me new souls...I have missed that," he commented.

"Don't patronize me...I won't be a victim of your trickery," Circe warned, as she held up her blaster.

"This will take even you down, God of the dead. This world has developed ways that are far superior to magic and that will fuel my revenge," she warned.

"What my wife says is true, Mr. Mendell. Your father is, indeed, in the Underworld. I can prove it," Hades said.

"Why would you do that? You have no stakes here. I know for a fact that you could care less about these people, especially your step-daughter. You've been wanting to kill her since the day she was born," Circe retorted.

"And I was wrong...things have changed," Hades countered. She raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Do tell…" Circe inquired. Hades looked at Persephone and felt his heart clench.

"When I lost you...I started to realize what I had and then I got what I deserved so to speak," he started to tell her. Persephone's brows furrowed.

"I got a small taste of the suffering that I have inflicted upon others for centuries. It was only a small taste of what I deserved," he continued.

"You may never love me...and I will never deserve your love. But when I got a second chance to make it up to you...I took it. I can never make up for everything I did...but I'm going to try and that means making sure you never lose your daughter and your family again," he confessed.

"By the Gods...you really have gone soft. I never thought I'd see the day," Circe commented.

"Don't be so certain...for this family you are threatening is now under my protection and my magic hasn't gone soft," he warned.

"Enough of this! You told me you could show me my father!" Greg hollered.

"I can...but I have to use magic to do so," Hades responded.

"Don't be a fool, Greg. If he uses magic to show you, then it's evil and can't be trusted. Magic is unholy," Tamara spat, making Hades chuckle.

"Are you laughing at me?" she questioned.

"Yes...they have no idea, do they?" he asked Circe. She glared at him.

"Quiet…" she warned.

"No idea about what?" Greg questioned. Circle growled and pointed her weapon at Snow and David.

"Not one word about my plan or I blow away everything important to your precious wife," she warned. Hades put up his hands in surrender.

"There is no need for that...keep your secrets. If these two morons want to follow you...then it makes no difference to me," he replied.

"I want to see my father…" Greg demanded. Hades shrugged.

"Talk to your boss. I will not risk this family to prove to you what I already know. Your father's afterlife has been benign. He is not suffering, though nor is he moving on. He lives fairly comfortably and keeps to himself. However...I agree with my wife. If you continue down your path of revenge, you won't be rewarded," the God informed, as his eyes met his wife's.

"Believe me...I have learned that better than any could ever have," he said sadly.

"Go ahead...show him. I sincerely believe now that you won't make a move that will upset your dear Persephone," Circe stated. Hades nodded and in a poof a light blue smoke, a crystal ball appeared and with a wave of his hand, they were now viewing the Underworld. But the images were quite confusing.

"What sorcery is this?!" Greg bellowed.

"That's just Storybrooke!" he hissed.

"No...look closer. This is Underbrooke...a place for those with unfinished business," Hades corrected. Snow gasped.

"The clock tower...it's broken," she mentioned. Persephone nodded.

"Time does not move there...nothing changes or grows. If I remember correctly, the corrupt and evil former King Xavier was the Mayor, thanks to you," she said to her husband.

"He was...until I tossed him into the river Archeron for foolishly deciding the fates of a few souls that were his enemies in life. He overstepped and justice was delivered to him. Trust me, no one will miss him," Hades answered.

"Is that...my brother?" David asked, as the images continued to fill the crystal globe.

"Oh yes...he's been there since his death. He's...not a very nice guy, but he colors in the lines and served well enough as Sheriff," Hades informed them, as the images finally rested on none other than Kurt Flynn, who sat in a diner that was identical to Granny's, except with no Granny and Ruby, obviously.

Greg stepped closer and gazed at the images in awe.

"Dad…" he uttered.

"Greg...this is trickery. Magic never brings any good," Tamara warned.

"You're wrong…" Snow retorted.

"Magic can bring good...it's not all bad," she said, as she clutched her daughter's hand. Emma smiled at her. Snow smiled at her husband.

"You just don't know the power and goodness of true love's magic...and for that, I feel bad for you," she added. But Tamara could only roll her eyes.

"Save your warm fuzzies for someone who cares, Princess," she retorted.

"As you can see, Mr. Mendell...your father is dead, but not suffering. However, your pursuit of revenge weighs heavily on him and sinking to the level of his murderer may ensure that he never moves on," Hades informed. Greg looked at the image in the globe and then back at the woman strapped to the table.

"Or...it will serve him justice and allow him to rest in peace," Greg growled, as he stormed back into the room. He turned the dial to the highest voltage it would go and looked at the woman.

"Where is his body?" Greg demanded to know. She smirked smugly.

"Buried...at your campsite. I doubt he gets many visitors there...you'll be the first," she hissed. Greg seethed in rage and slammed the button the machine, causing Regina to scream in agony.

"You feel that?!" he screamed in rage.

"That's the end of you! Now you'll never hurt anyone ever again!" he screamed.

"Stop it...you're killing her!" Snow cried.

"That's the point, Princess," he growled.

"Finish up...it's time for the final piece of my plan," Circe said, as she held up the black diamond.

"What the hell is that?" Emma questioned. She smirked and motioned to Greg, who turned the machine off.

"Why don't you tell them, Your Majesty...this is your little creation," Circe said smugly. Regina convulsed and breathed heavily in pain, as she looked weakly at them.

"It's a trigger…" she rasped.

"A trigger? What kind of trigger?" Emma questioned.

"It's a self destruct trigger...isn't it?" Hades questioned, gaining their attention again. Regina nodded weakly.

"Self destruct?" Snow squeaked.

"In the event that she became dissatisfied with the curse, she could use the trigger to wipe the slate clean and start over," Hades stated.

"So...it destroys Storybrooke?" David asked. The God nodded.

"And the people?" Snow questioned fearfully.

"I think you know," he replied simply.

"Why the hell were you carrying something like that around?" David lashed out angrily at the Queen. Snow sniffed.

"Because she was going to use it. She was going to take Henry and escape, while leaving the rest of us to die," she spat bitterly.

"Maybe now you finally see how foolish your faith in this woman is," Tamara said.

"Don't lecture me, you bitch," Snow snapped back, surprising the other woman.

"Ooohh...maybe you do have a little bite, after all," she poked fun at her.

"Finish it now...it's time to go," Circe ordered, as Greg prepared to turn the power back on and this time, they all knew it would kill Regina.

"Don't do this...she is using you both!" Persephone pleaded.

"Shut up," Circe growled.

"She doesn't want to destroy magic! She wants magic back! She was stripped of hers and cast out into this world with none!" Persephone revealed.

"She's right...and by destroying this town, it won't destroy the magic like you think. That's not possible...but it will allow Circe to use whatever device she has had science build for her and contain the magic for her own," Hades added.

"That's enough from both of you...I warned you," she growled, as she aimed at Snow and Charming. They cried out and David tried to shield her with his body, as they waited for the pain. But it didn't come, as Hades' light blue magic clashed with the cobalt energy from Circe's weapon in a fantastic display of magic versus science. Persephone was stunned, as he stepped in and saved her daughter and son-in-law's lives. She would have never imagined him doing so and while she wasn't ready to trust it...it certainly was making her wonder more and more what had happened to him to change him so much in so little time.

"We need to get out of here," she cried, as she pulled at the cuff on her wrist. But she heard the cocking of a gun behind her.

"There's no getting that off," Tamara said, as the lights of the clashing blue magic was almost blinding. Tamara squinted and closed her eyes for a split second. David seized on her distraction and lunged at her, as they struggled with the gun. A gunshot rang out and Snow's scream echoed through the building...


	70. I Can See For Miles

Chapter 70: I Can See For Miles

"We need to get out of here," Persephone cried, as she pulled at the cuff on her wrist. But she heard the cocking of a gun behind her.

"There's no getting that off," Tamara said, as the lights of the clashing blue magic were almost blinding. Tamara squinted and closed her eyes for a split second. David seized on her distraction and lunged at her, as they struggled with the gun. A gunshot rang out and Snow's scream echoed through the building. A bullet grazed David's neck, breaking the skin and the wound burned, but he did not let that deter him, as he shoved Tamara into the wall and got the gun away from her. But he cried out in pain and dropped to the floor, writhing from the after effects of Circe's weapon.

"DAVID!" Snow screamed, as she tried to go to her, but the witch leveled the weapon at the Princess. Persephone and Emma pulled her back and held her there, as Circe threatened them with them weapon. Tamara glared at the Prince and recovered the gun, but not without kicking him in the gut.

"Stop it!" Snow cried, as she wrenched away from them and knelt beside David. She pulled him into her arms and cradled him against her, as he tried to pull himself up.

"Baby...careful," she chided.

"I'm okay…" he promised, as he huddled her close and her eyes were focused on the wound on his neck. She took her scarf off and put it to the wound.

"Snow...I'm okay," he promised.

"But not for long," Tamara said, as she pointed it the gun at them.

"Please...not her. She's pregnant. Shoot me if you have to...but please don't kill Snow and Emma," he begged. Snow's knuckles were white, as she clutched his jacket.

"You really think that's going to stop me from putting a bullet in her?" Tamara questioned.

"I'm trying to cleanse this world of magic and one more magical baby is the last thing this world needs," she hissed.

"I never...really knew you, did I?" Neal interjected, as he looked her in the eyes. She was silent for a moment.

"No...but you should understand my mission better than anyone, Neal. You know how evil magic is...it ruined your life," she reminded.

"It did...but it also saved it. Because Emma is born of magic, true love's magic. I didn't get the distinction either before, but I do now," he said, as he looked at her.

"I met her and we had Henry...magic had a hand in that so it can't all be bad," he realized, finally accepting what Snow and Charming had always known. Not all magic was bad and true love's magic was an incredible thing. They were proof, as was Emma and their unborn baby. And their hearts broke, as they faced the possibility that they might not make it out of this alive.

Hades carefully stepped toward her, but she she cocked the gun. Snow cried out and buried her face in David's chest.

"One spark and I'll do it without batting an eye," she warned. Hades held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay...but you need to realize what you're doing. What I said earlier was true...Circe isn't going to destroy magic. When this town blows, she'll absorb the magic and then unleash it on the entire world," Hades warned. Tamara pursed her lips.

"Is what he's saying true? Is all that equipment we brought...is that going to allow you to absorb the magic in this town?" she asked. Circe smirked at the God of the Underworld and her eyes flashed indigo.

"As a matter of fact...it is," she stated. Tamara frowned and looked at her.

"The mission is to destroy magic...that's what we've always done," she said.

"No...that's what you think you've always done. All that magic you've found and reported to the Home Office wasn't destroyed. My followers simply moved in and collected it for me, so to speak," she replied.

"I...I don't understand. Magic is evil...it's unholy! It doesn't belong in this world!" she cried.

"That is just the indoctrination we use on believers like you and Mr. Mendell. It makes you very useful, malleable pawns," Circe countered.

"Pawns...I am no one's pawn!" she spat angrily. Regina managed a grim chuckle.

"Just as I thought...a couple of fools that have no idea what they're dealing with," she goaded.

"You shut up!" Greg growled, as he looked at their "leader" in disbelief.

"Why would you tell us we were destroying magic all this time?" he questioned.

"Because you simpleton...your rage and anger at magic blinded you and made you the perfect tool. It is so easy to make you mortals hate something. Had I told you what we were really doing...you would have wanted nothing to do with us. And I need little worker bees like the two of you...and all the other foolish pawns that think they're destroying magic," she explained, with a sadistic smirk.

"I commend you both though. You have collected a lot of magic for me over the years...but it was never quite enough to fully restore my power," Circe continued.

"But Storybrooke...this is the diamond in the rough. When I activate this trigger and position my equipment, it will absorb it all when this town blows. Then...nothing will ever stop me again," she revealed. Tamara was stunned. It couldn't be...could it? Could her entire life and everything she believed really be a lie? Anger at that thought burned in her and she turned the gun on Circe. But she was ready for that and tossed a smoke grenade at her feet. They all began to cough and their eyes watered, as smoke blinded them. Hades used his magic to suck the smoke away, but as suspected, Circe was gone and with the trigger, just as Rumple and Jefferson arrived.

"What the hell happened?" the Hatter asked.

"A great many things...but there is no time for that," Hades responded, as he pointed at Neal, while he knelt beside Persephone.

"Can you heal him? This damn cuff won't let me use my magic," Emma said. Rumple didn't hesitate and waved his hand over the wound. Neal felt instant relief, as he was healed. Hades tried using his magic on the cuff, but found it to be resistant.

"Dammit…" he cursed.

"You can't get these things off?" Emma asked.

"Eventually we can, I'm sure...but it requires time and research. We have no idea what these things are made of...but there is someone who does," Hades replied, as he looked at Tamara.

"I'm not telling you anything," she spat and then was suddenly clutching her throat, as he choked her.

"Do not think my fondness for my wife's family extends to you in anyway…" he growled, as he released her and she gasped for air.

"I may not be King of the Underworld any longer...but my magic still works just fine and I won't hesitate to send you to Underbrooke," he seethed, as her hands were suddenly cuffed. And she started choking again, but this time at the courtesy of Rumple.

"And if he won't send you there...I will," he hissed.

"Papa...let her go," Neal requested.

"She deserves no kindness from you or any of us, son," he protested.

"No...she doesn't and that's why we will give it to her. She would never do the same for any of us, but we're not like her. Please," he pleaded. Rumple heeded his request and let her breath again, as David confiscated the weapon from her and leveled it at Greg. The man had been using the distraction to scream at Regina more and his hand was now hovering over the on switch on the equipment.

"Put your hands up…" David warned.

"Or you'll what? Shoot me? Choke me to death?" he challenged.

"I'm ready to die if it means she dies too…" he growled, as he prepared to press the button. But David surprised him and shot the machine. It sparked violently and shorted out. Greg looked at him and shoved the machine down, trying to evade capture. But he was forcibly stopped in his tracks by Hades, who immobilized him.

"Not today, Mr. Mendell," he said, as cuffs appeared on his wrists as well. Snow and David rushed to Regina's side, as they started unhooking her and undoing the straps.

"We need to get her out of here," Snow said. David nodded and lifted the former Queen into his arms.

"If you've got this...Neal and I'll take these two back to the station," Emma said. He nodded.

"We'll take her back to the loft to rest with Henry. Then we'll find Circe and hopefully before she activates that trigger," he replied. Persephone turned to her husband, the man she had loathed for so long. She still didn't like him or trust him...but he had saved her family.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked.

"I wasn't sure I was welcome," he responded.

"You're a part of this now...and I think working together is the only way we save Storybrooke at this point," she said, as they shared a long look.

"I suppose Circe is a much bigger threat. I have to say...being the lesser of two evils is new territory to me," he joked. She scoffed.

"Believe me...it's weirding me out too," she agreed, as he snapped his fingers and all of them still present, including Rumple disappeared.

~*~

Eli used the crystal ball that had once been in Hades' Throne room to observe the events unfolding in Storybrooke. He had moved it to the Mayor's office and found himself using it quite often. He had been told that this was a clone of the small, hand held one that Hades carried on his person. The original had been gifted to his nemesis by an Oracle, but the copy worked just as well. Well enough to allow him to observe his beloved Persephone. And learn more about their child, who had a family of her own. Everything he was seeing was enthralling, intriguing, frustrating, and some of it even infuriating.

Especially the way it seemed that Persephone and all of them seemed to be tolerating Hades. He clenched his fists at that thought. What did they think they were doing? They should have been shunning him at the very least. Persephone should have blasted him with her magic after all he had done to him and tried to do to their daughter. Never mind that he watched that demon save his daughter and son-in-law. But he knew better than to trust that. It was all an act to gain their trust and he was infuriated that it seemed to be working. That's why, since Hades' escape, he had been searching for a way to escape the Underworld himself. The new King promised not to stop him if he found a way out...for a price of course. But to Eli, working as a ward for the new King of the Underworld in the land of the living was worth it if he regained his life. He relished the thought of that, but it was a mere fantasy at this point. Still, he had managed to inflict suffering and terror upon one of the most feared beings in all the realms. Thanks to Eli's short lived revenge against Hades, the God had been reduced to a shadow of his former self. And it was all well deserved.

He had considered that Persephone wouldn't approve of such malevolence. Despite everything, she was never one to resort to tormenting those that had wronged her. But his beloved had not been through what he had experienced in that river for almost sixty years. Constant torment and suffering, floating in a river of pain that sometimes felt like fire and other times as frigid as glacial waters. Sometimes it had been neither of those and rather like a thousand knives piercing him or evil souls making his already nightmarish existence even worse with their violence and torment to his fractured soul. What he had inflicted upon Hades had just been a small taste of what he himself had experienced. And then the God had managed to escape and was daring to act like he cared about his family. They were his and he never got the chance for them to be his. And now Hades was yet again trying to steal them away and gain their affection. Eli slammed his fists on the desk. It would not stand and he could not keep the burning desire for revenge inside him at bay. He needed to see Hades pay...he needed to make him suffer further for all he had done. He needed to find a way out of the Underworld and on that day, he would receive a sliver of a chance that such could be realized.

When Leopold entered his office with a man he did not recognize, he looked at the former King in question.

"This is the God, Phobos...he may have the answers you seek," Leopold explained.

"You're a God?" Eli questioned.

"I was...before my life was stolen," he responded.

"By Hades…" Eli growled.

"And my father Ares...they exchanged my life to revive my evil brother, Deimos," he revealed.

"I have heard that name…" Eli recalled.

"You would have...my brother was quite obsessed with your daughter," Phobos stated.

"He still is...but Persephone has bound him with the chains of Prometheus," Eli told him.

"She was right to do so...he is sick and depraved as any creature to ever exist," Phobos said.

"The means they used to revive you...what kind of things did that entail?" Eli questioned. Phobos narrowed his eyes and then looked at Leopold.

"You told me he wanted information about my brother and his obsession with Snow White…" he said, as he looked back at Eli.

"I only came to assure a father that his daughter is safe now...that my brother is locked away. What is this really?" Phobos demanded to know.

"I need to know how they did it...how they revived Deimos," Eli replied. The once formidable God of fear's eyes widened.

"You...seek to do the same," he realized.

"Hades stole everything from me!" Eli raged, as he motioned toward the crystal ball.

"I was tortured in his river for almost six decades...and now he is walking among the living! He is with my family...deceiving them and gaining their trust! He looks upon what is mine as if they are his," Eli hissed.

"I have no love lost for my Uncle...but I will not help you do what was done to me to some poor mortal," Phobos refuted, as he turned to leave. Leopold stood in his way and the God of fear showed why he had once had that title. Inky blackness dripped from his being and slowly wrapped around the former King before thrusting him violently through the doors. Leopold's eyes were alight with fear and Phobos glared back at Eli.

"Pursue me again and I'll see that you return to the river," he threatened, as he turned to Leopold.

"And I'll send this fool with you…" he said, as he stared into the former King's eyes and laughed.

"I see all mortal fears...you fear the woman you raised will find out more of the monster that you truly are…" he hissed and then chuckled.

"She already knows you knew who Regina was when you married her and all your sordid history with Cora. You fear that she no longer sees you as her father...that she will realize how you were grooming her to take Eva's place at her your side…" Phobos growled, as he turned to Eli.

"And you...your fear rolls off you in waves. But it is not going back to the river you fear most…" Phobos said.

"You fear that she will fall in love with him. That even if you regain your life...you shall have no place in hers. Enjoy that," the God hissed, as he disappeared. Eli shook his words off though and eyed Leopold with scrutiny.

"What did he mean?" Eli questioned. Leopold was silent.

"I'm aware that you were depraved enough to marry the daughter of your former lover. I overlooked that when I recruited you, but only because you raised my little Snow as your own and loved her, even after you found out she was not really yours," he said.

"And all that is true...I will always see her as my beloved daughter," Leopold replied. Eli studied him for a moment and then accepted his answer.

"We must find another way to be revived then...I must make Hades pay and get him away from my family…"

~*~

Once they appeared in the loft, David lay Regina down on their bed, while Snow went to the kitchen for a cold compress.

"Mom?" Henry squeaked, as he came to her side. A genuine smile came to her face.

"Henry…" she said weakly, as Snow returned. The former Queen watched her step-daughter with scrutiny, as she placed the compress on her head.

"You...saved me," she stated.

"You really think we'd let you die?" David asked, as Regina started to cry.

"Despite our differences, we're family, though it would be nice if you returned that favor once in a while and stopped trying to kill us," he added.

"David…" Snow chided lightly. Regina sniffed.

"Where are they? Where are Greg and Tamara now?" she questioned.

"In a jail cell where they belong," David confirmed.

"And that woman...the one that has the trigger?" Regina asked.

"She got away...but we're going to find her and stop her," Snow replied.

"Were you really going to do it?" David asked bluntly.

"Charming…" Snow chided, but he pressed on.

"I was going to use the beans to take Henry back to the Enchanted Forest," she confessed. David clenched his fists and then took a breath, trying to control his anger.

"And in the process...kill all of us," Snow said, her own anger finally bubbling to the surface.

"Your mother killed mine! You have everything! A husband, a daughter...a child on the way! Henry is all I have…" she cried.

"But you could have so much more if you would just let go of your revenge. It hasn't gotten you anywhere," Snow argued.

"It got me Henry…" she argued back.

"And it will cause you to lose me too," the boy interjected, as he came toward her.

"Henry…" she uttered.

"I love you Mom…" he said, as he looked back at his grandparents.

"I love all of you...I just want us to all be a family," he continued, as he looked back at her.

"If Grams and Gramps can put everything aside...can't you too, Mom?" he pleaded.

"Henry...you don't understand what they did to me," she argued. But he shook his head in vehemence.

"No...I do. It's all in my book, Mom. Cora did a lot of bad things to you and Grams too," Henry said, as he showed her a picture of her and Snow, just after Regina had saved Snow from being thrown from the horse.

"You loved each other," Henry reminded.

"But then she told my secret," Regina spat at Snow.

"Cora already knew about Daniel…" Hades interjected, as they all looked at him.

"And I'm supposed to believe you of all people?" Regina hissed.

"No...but I have proof. Just as I showed Greg Mendell...I'll show you," he said, as the crystal ball appeared in his hand.

"You know, this isn't just some ordinary crystal ball. It was given to me as a gift by Sibyl, a very powerful and Divine oracle. It is the only one of my possessions I managed to escape the Underworld with," he mentioned.

"It will show the holder whatever they want to know," he added, as he placed it in Regina's hand. Tears sprang to her eyes, as it showed her the moment Daniel proposed to her in the barn and before Snow told her secret. She smiled, as she watched him place the ring on her finger, but then frowned when she saw her mother step into view after they had left for a riding lesson.

"No…" she uttered.

"Yes...I'm afraid she eavesdropped on you in the barn quite often. She knew about the two of you long before Snow ever entered the picture," Hades told her. Persephone looked at him in surprise. Not even she had known for sure, though she had always suspected that Cora had known about them without Snow's confession of Regina's secret.

"She needed you to hate Snow...so she could see that you would take the Throne and become exactly what she wanted you to be," he said.

"So when she prodded Snow to tell that secret and manipulated her...it was to destroy the loving relationship they had," David realized. Hades nodded.

"You knew?" Persephone asked. He nodded.

"I did...I should have told you long ago, but I myself couldn't see past my own revenge for a very long time," he confessed. She was about to ask more when Rumple interrupted.

"This is all fascinating as usual...but none of it matters if Circe activates that trigger," he reminded.

"He's right...we need to find her and stop her," David said, as Regina sat up.

"Where would she go...or how would she even activate it without magic?" Snow wondered. David's eyes widened.

"It's a diamond…" he said and her eyes widened to, as unspoken communication passed between them.

"The mines…" she realized.

"She needs a dwarf pick axe...that's where she'll go," David said, as they all hurried out of the loft to find Circe.

~*~

"I want to see the burial site...I need to find his body and give him a proper burial," Greg told her through the bars. Upon arriving at the station, they had confiscated Greg and Tamara's possessions, including a pod with two beans inside.

"Those are the last, you know," Leroy said gruffly.

"The Queen torched the fields when she stole those," the dwarf said.

"That's what she does...he gets it. She's evil and doesn't deserve to live," Greg growled.

"And I still can't figure out why you protect her. You grew up alone, like me, because of her," he said.

"I did...because of her revenge, I grew up without my parents," Emma replied.

"You know, there was a time when my mother was ready to turn to revenge too...ready to kill the Queen, even at the cost of her own soul," the blonde added.

"I would have rather met that Snow White then the version that exists now," Tamara commented.

"Not me...because if my mother had gone through with it and if my father failed to return her memory of their true love and she had killed Regina...she would have become just like her," Emma said, as she glared at them.

"You are no better than Regina. She wronged you...she wronged me and I could have gone down a bad path too. I did for a while, but nothing like you. I'll admit, I had a few other advantages than you, which I'm not going to tell you about, but at the end of the day, we have to make our choices and choose what kind of people we want to be," Emma said.

"Are you finished with your lecture, Sheriff?" Tamara questioned. But Emma ignored her.

"I choose good...like my parents," she said, as she walked away from them.

"Then have fun getting screwed over. Tell me...how many times has good screwed your precious parents over?" he growled.

"They've had setbacks, but despite all that, they're happy and together. It's your revenge and her blind hatred of what she doesn't understand that might destroy us all!" Emma cried.

"You set this in motion! You two idiots followed orders blindly from someone you really didn't know! And now...she may kill us all! So if anyone is getting us screwed over...it was you," she snapped, before turning away again and sighing.

"Despite all that...if we manage to survive this, then Neal and I will go to the campsite and dig the body up," she said. His eyes widened.

"We will?" he asked.

"It's the right thing to do...it's what my parents would do," she said, as she turned to look at them.

"No matter what happens, they always help people. Even those who don't deserve it," Emma told them, as everyone filed into the station.

"Hey…" she greeted her parents.

"We need to get to the mines," Snow blurted out.

"We think that's where she's going to activate the trigger," David added.

"Okay let's go...but we still have these damn cuffs on," Emma reminded. Hades looked at the Dark One.

"My magic didn't work and though I hate admitting it, technically you are more powerful than me in the living world. Any ideas?" he asked. Rumple's dagger appeared in his hand and he waved it over the one on Emma's wrist. He put the blade tip to the cuff and there was a pulse of golden magic, as it sliced through the device. Tamara and Greg's eyes widened in surprised horror.

"How did you do that?" Greg asked.

"They told us that magic couldn't overpower these," Tamara added.

"They told you wrong. Science in this land is remarkable...but magic will always be superior," Rumple boasted, as he freed Persephone of the device and reluctantly Regina as well.

"Who are the they you keep talking about?" Neal asked her, but she was silent.

"Come on...your lives are on the line here too!" he growled.

"Who are they? And are they coming here?" he demanded to know. But they remained silent.

"Well...I see it's true. Pity...I was really hoping you'd come through on our deal," Hook said, as he waltzed into the station. David balled his fist and punched the pirate right in his nose. Hook's head snapped back and he gingerly touched his now bleeding nose.

"If it wasn't moot at this point...I'd lock you back in that cell," the prince growled.

"Why would it be moot?" he questioned.

"Because Storybrooke may not be here much longer, unless we can find their boss. She stole the trigger," Emma answered. He smirked.

"I told you that you should always know who you're working for, lass," he goaded.

"Save me your lectures, pirate," Tamara spat.

"Well...my intention in helping them was to kill the Crocodile, but I didn't much plan on expiring myself. So how do we stop this person?" Hook questioned.

"You really think we'd trust you?" David hissed.

"Well...I believe your lovely wife said it best in our last encounter on my ship," he countered.

"I'm a pirate and I go with the way the wind blows. I do believe it is gusting toward the lot of you right now," he leered.

"Fine...just stay out of the way and do as your told," David snapped, as they prepared to head off to the mines in an attempt to stop Circe from activating the trigger...


	71. Sugar, We're Goin Down

Chapter 71: Sugar, We're Goin' Down

Circe waited at the town line, as two dark vans drove over the line and stopped. Her heeled boots clicked on the pavement, as she approached the first one and the passenger door slid open. From it, emerged a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and ocean blue eyes.

"Do you have everything?" Circe questioned.

"Yes...we're ready. We just need to set up. Do you have it?" the woman asked.

"Do you doubt me, Calypso?" she answered, as she showed the other woman the trigger. The other Goddess smirked.

"Of course not...you've built your own empire and once your powers are returned, it will be the dawn of your very own dynasty right here in the Land Without Magic," she answered.

"And neither Zeus or any of his minions will be able to do anything to stop you," she added.

"Yes...it is imperative that I absorb all Storybrooke's magic. I can't have Persephone, Hades, or Artemis trying to fight me, not to mention the Dark One," Circe stated.

"They're here?" Calypso asked incredulously.

"Yes...Persephone found a way to her daughter. The other two followed," Circe replied.

"Which means Demeter could also be on her way or even Athena," Calypso said worriedly.

"Perhaps, but once all the magic in this spot is mine, they'll have nothing to fight me with, even if they manage to survive the complete implosion of Storybrooke," Circe replied.

"And our operatives that have made all this possible?" she questioned. Circe smirked.

"Your friend Tamara and her little stooge are a bit shell shocked by the truth about our operation. The heroes, as they refer to themselves, have locked them up," Circe informed. Calypso frowned.

"Pity...I truly do see Tamara as a friend…" she mentioned.

"But she only knows you as Cali Barlos, her attorney friend. She may be lost to you now," Circe warned.

"Perhaps...but I know her better than you. I may be able to convince her that what we are doing here is worth her continued loyalty," Calypso responded.

"You may try to convince her...but do not waste too much time. We must activate this trigger at once. I am so close to our goal...we can afford no distractions now," Circe warned. The other woman nodded, as they got into the first van and continued on into town. They parked as near to the mines as they could get and out of the two vans, men and women, armed to the teeth, filed out.

"Keep them busy while we set up," Circe ordered, as her hired mercenaries descended into town.

~*~

"What are you thinking?" Greg muttered, as they sat alone in their cells.

"That even though our leader may not want to destroy magic...our cause is still just. This is just more proof at the disease magic is," Tamara lamented. He sighed.

"I thought that too...but maybe they were right. We were foolish to blindly follow. They took me in though...gave me hope that I would find my father. And it's all a lie," he said bitterly.

"You still want them to pay," she surmised.

"And you don't?" he questioned.

"Of course...but you heard the leader. She's not going to destroy magic. She's going to use it to infect the entire world," Tamara spat.

"And you can still be a part of that greatness, my friend," a voice said, as they looked up to see Tamara's friend, the attorney, Cali Barlos.

"Cali...you came," she said.

"Of course...the time has come for our objective to be realized," she replied. Tamara frowned.

"Don't tell me you knew…" Tamara accused.

"You did...all this time, you knew the real objective and you didn't tell me?!" she exclaimed.

"You weren't ready to hear the truth," Cali replied.

"Who are you really?" Tamara questioned.

"That doesn't matter...I'm your friend and I don't want to see anything happen to you," she said.

"Are you like all these people? Are you from there too?" she questioned.

"Yes...but I want all of them to pay as much as you do. You have no idea what it was like for me there," she said. Tamara looked at her curiously.

"What is your real name?" she questioned.

"I am Calypso...daughter of the Titan Atlas and for supporting him in the Titan's war with the Gods, I was cursed to remain on the island of Ogygia for eternity," she explained. Greg raised an eyebrow.

"Then how are you here?" he asked. She looked at him.

"I escaped...thanks to Circe. She recruited me to her cause when she knew they were going to banish her and steal her magic. She rescued me from a lonely and cruel existence," she mentioned.

"Men...heroes mostly, would land on my island. I would nurse them back to health, fall for them and they would return my affection...for a time. Then ultimately, they would leave me behind, heartbroken," she continued.

"Naturally, I tried not falling for them after a while, but heroic men were truly a weakness for me and most of them had no qualms about using me," she added. Tamara snorted.

"That explains why you go through men the way you do," she commented, but it was ignored.

"But Circe rescued me and gave me purpose...and that purpose is finally about to be fulfilled. We will have our revenge and you can rejoin us," she offered.

"How can I? It's all lie!" Tamara shouted.

"No...the goal is still the same. Those that wield magic will pay...all of them," she said.

"Including the Queen?" Greg asked. Cali smirked.

"Especially her...swear your loyalty to Circe and I'm sure she'll even spare her just so you can kill her yourself," she replied. Greg looked at Tamara.

"You can't be seriously considering this!" she hissed.

"It's either that or we die...and this won't be dying for our cause. This will just be dying for nothing," he argued. She sighed.

"I understand your skepticism and I know how much you loathe magic. In many ways, I do too. The Gods cursed me and trapped me with magic. They cursed me to fall in love and have my heartbroken a thousand times. But they can only be made to pay by giving them a dose of their own magic...and that is what Circe will do," she said. Tamara was silent for a moment.

"Fine...we're in. Can you get us out of here?" she asked. Calypso smiled and used one of their electrically charged devices to melt the locks on the cells.

"Let's go...it's time we all embrace our destinies," she said, as they followed her.

~*~

August drove over the town line, speeding toward town proper with his passengers.

"Do you think we managed to beat them here?" August asked, as there was suddenly a rumble beneath the ground and he gripped the steering wheel hard, trying to keep control of the vehicle.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, as the brakes screeched, as he came to a stop in one of the alleyways.

"It's your answer," Mushu replied, as they got out of the vehicle. The ground beneath them shuddered again and cracked. August watched in disbelief, as roots sprouted up in the concrete and greenery started to cover the sides of the building they were next to.

"It's happening...she's activated the trigger!" Hecate exclaimed.

"You mean that's it? We're too late?" August questioned.

"I'm not sure if there is a way to stop it, but we have to try," she said. The other two agreed, as they took off to find the source.

~*~

They made it past Main street and to the alley by the Cannery when they felt the first shudder. They stopped running and watched the ground beneath them split, as tree roots sprouted up. The Cannery building was suddenly thick with forest brush and overgrowth.

"What was that?" Snow asked.

"It's already started," Persephone replied.

"Then we're too late?" David asked.

"Not yet...we can at least try to stop this," Hades answered, as they continued on. David gripped Snow's hand, as they ran and then caught her, as a particularly violent shudder rumbled beneath them. He held her close, as there was another loud crack in the ground before them.

"Do you feel that?" Regina asked.

"Feel what?" Emma asked, as she reached out with magic like she had been taught. But she couldn't feel much.

"The magic...it's being sucked out of the air," he said, as he tried to use a fireball, but it fizzled.

"We need to hurry," Persephone realized, as they started off toward the mines again, only for two black vans to screech to a halt before them, cutting them off.

"What the hell?" Emma questioned, as armed people filed out of the vans and she counted almost of dozen. They had automatic weapons and the same type of taser like guns that Circe had used on her father and Persephone.

"Let me guess...the Home Office," David surmised.

"More of her followers...how deep does this thing go?" Persephone asked her husband. But someone else beat him to the answer.

"Much deeper than you imagine," a woman said.

"Who the hell are you?" Regina questioned.

"August?" Emma called, as she saw him.

"Where the hell have you been?" Neal asked crossly.

"Later...just know that I brought help. They are Circe's parents," August replied.

"You are both a little late...your daughter has already done the damage," Hades said.

"That's funny coming from you…" the Dragon countered, as they glared at each other.

"This is no time to fight amongst ourselves. We have a much bigger problem in front of us and limited magic to deal with it," Persephone reminded.

"An army of outsiders in Storybrooke...this just keeps getting better," Emma lamented, as she tried her magic again. This time, a ball of white energy appeared in her hand and she launched it at the foes. It struck one of the vans, causing it to explode in flames. Neal covered himself and Henry, as he looked on in disbelief.

"Whoa…" he said, as he looked at her in surprise. Her eyes were as wide as his were.

"It's harder to use now that it's being sucked out of the air...but magic is still here. You just have to dig deeper," Hades said, as he tried to summon his own sky blue fire.

"Why is Emma having less trouble than the rest of you?" Neal asked to his father, as fire appeared in his hands.

"Because she is born of magic...she's a complete natural, whether she realizes it or not," Rumple answered, as he guns were pointed at him and Belle. He guarded her and disarmed two of the mercenaries of their weapons. Finally, these faceless people showed some sort of human reaction, as one stepped forward, removing his helmet.

"Stand down...our weapons are more than capable of dealing with your kind," the very large, imposing man stated.

"We're people...just like you. Yet you're here threatening us with bodily harm...because what? You don't like where we come from?" David asked angrily. The man looked at him.

"I was once like you...the hero. I served my country in the armed forces and thus saw many things unexplainable in this world. But there are always people waiting to exploit things like that and they become a great threat. Power such as that cannot be trusted in the hands of mere mortals," he said.

"Are you hearing yourself? You're turning the power you're talking about over to someone who wants to ruin everything," Persephone argued. He scoffed.

"Look around at this world! There is already ruin. There is already war, killing, disease, and not enough resources. She's going to fix everything...she will bring peace," he stated.

"You say peace...but I don't think our definitions of peace are the same," Snow countered. He smirked.

"Those who do not understand will be made to," he offered.

"There it is…" Jefferson quipped. There was another violent shudder beneath them and they saw vines crack through the clock tower and wrap around it.

"We're running out of time!" Persephone cried. Regina managed a fireball and launched it at two of them, as David rushed them with his sword. They were disarmed, but the leader got at him from behind, wrapping a brawny hand around the prince's neck. But he soon cried out, as he found an arrow in his side.

"Get your hands off my husband or the next one goes in your eye," she threatened, as he became more concerned about his wound and David wrenched away, before he took Snow's hand and they all hurried toward the mines, even as they were chased by Circe's mercenaries. The invaders fired their weapons and explosions of variously colored magic intercepted any of the blasts, as they continued to run.

~*~

"It's just ahead," Calypso said, as they met Circe in the mouth of the cave mines.

"Well...I see you've come to your senses and decided to rejoin the right side," she mentioned, eyeing the two inept charges that had somehow been the ones to lead her to everything she wanted.

"Magic is still evil...I believe that with all my heart," Tamara refuted. Circe smirked.

"You feel that for now, because that is what I needed you to feel. Soon...you'll see how great things can be when magic is used correctly. It can be the answer to all the problems in this world," Circe offered, as she took the diamond out of her pocket.

"Mr. Mendell...would you like to do the honors and welcome the dawn of a new age?" she asked, as she handed the dwarf axe to him. He swallowed thickly and tapped the diamond with the tip. It began to glow a deep, cobalt color and power emanated from it, as the ground shuddered beneath them. It spun rapid, as it began to suck in all the magic and revert the town back to what it once was.

"It has begun at last…" Circe said, with a pleased smirk.

"No!" Persephone cried, as they arrived, but she cackled.

"You're too late...Your Majesty. Soon...you'll be returned to the Underworld with your dear husband. But this time...you two will be dead like the rest of the souls there, along with your perfect little family and all their friends," she goaded.

"Mother...please tell me we can stop this," Snow said. Persephone lowered her head.

"I...I don't know, but we'll try, snowdrop," she replied, as she hugged her fiercely.

"It's getting hard to breathe," Emma mentioned.

"That's the magic being sucked out of the air...it's reaching a critical point. If we are to fight this...we must do it now," Rumple said.

"Not so fast…" Circe chided, as she stood in their way.

"Daughter please...do not do this," the Dragon pleaded.

"Save your words of wisdom, old man. They didn't soothe me back then when the Gods banished me and they will not work now," she hissed back.

"Circe…" Hecate started to say, but the witch absorbed a bit of the magic that the machinery was absorbing into her fingertips and blasted Hecate at point blank. The Goddess screamed and everyone present watched in pure horror, as she was turned to ash. The Dragon fell to his knees and filled his hands with the remains of the woman he once loved.

"Time to join her...father," Circe said, as he stared up at her. But Hades blasted her with blue fire. She cackled though, as she met him with her own magic.

"I need help!" he cried. Persephone's lavender magic joined him in his battle and Gold poured everything he had into it as well.

"It's up to you two...you have to stop that trigger…" Gold growled, as he struggled against Circe.

"I don't know if I can…" Regina cried.

"We have to try...alone, it's useless. But together...we have to do this. For Henry," Emma said, as Greg and Tamara stood in their way.

"You're not stopping this," she said, as she pulled a gun and Greg gripped the axe. David realized that the situation was incredibly grim and he gripped Snow's hand, before fishing a bean out of his pocket.

"Neal...get Henry out of here," he said, as he put the bean in his hand.

"What? I'm not leaving all of you!" he protested.

"You have to! If this goes bad, you need to protect Henry. Get back to town and get yourselves and as many people as you can through a portal back to the Enchanted Forest," David insisted, as he looked at Jefferson.

"Get Grace and Amy and go with them," he added.

"But what about all of you?" Neal questioned.

"We have another bean...we'll make it out. But if we don't...Henry will be safe and he won't be alone!" David said.

"Bae...do it. Go and take Belle!" Rumple urged.

"I'm not leaving you!" Belle protested.

"Belle...please go!" he cried.

"Come on lass...you don't have to tell me twice," Hook said, as he intended to flee with them. Belle wrenched away from him and tears streamed down her cheeks, as she took Henry's other hand and they hurried out of the mine. Tamara turned, intending to shoot at them, but David rushed her and they fought for the gun. She slipped and fell, cracking her head on a rock on the way down, as he pulled the gun from her hands.

"Tamara!" Greg cried, as he knelt down beside her. She hissed in pain, as she stood up with his help and he poised the axe at the Prince.

"You could have killed her!" he cried.

"She pointed a gun at our grandson...she's lucky to still be alive," Snow countered, as she trained an arrow on them both.

"I don't suppose I can talk to you into leaving with Neal and the others," he muttered to her.

"I'm not leaving you," she responded fiercely. He smirked.

"Then I guess we do this together," he said. She smirked and aimed the arrow.

"Together," she agreed, as she fired an arrow at Tamara, who dodged and growled, as she tried to get her hands around Snow's neck. But the Princess kicked her back and belted her over the head with her bow. Tamara glared up at her and dabbed the blood from her nose.

"I gotta say...you're definitely nothing like the movie version," she mentioned.

"Clearly," Snow replied, with an eye roll, as she evaded the charging woman again and punched her in the face.

"That's for shooting my husband," she hissed.

"It was a graze," Tamara corrected, but received another punch.

"You drew blood and now I spill yours," Snow said savagely, as she kicked her away.

David caught the blow, as Greg tried to swing it down on him and struggled with the other man.

"Why are you still doing this? The woman you follow...she won't hesitate to kill any of us, including you!" David growled.

"At least I know I'll be taking this whole damn town with me!" he growled.

"It ruined my life! The minute it sprouted up from the forest, it destroyed everything!" Greg cried.

"And killing all of us will never bring you peace," David countered.

"Yes...it will," Greg insisted, as he kneed David in the gut, but the prince countered with a punch to his face. He slammed Greg against the rock wall and wrestled the axe away from him, before punching him again. Greg growled and rushed David, as they went rolling to the ground.

Regina and Emma poured their magic into the trigger, trying to slow it and hopefully stop it.

"I don't know how much longer we can contain this," Regina mentioned tearfully. Emma looked at her and then back at her parents, who were fighting with Greg and Tamara. And then at Hades, Persephone, and Gold, who were all struggling to hold Circe back. None of it was looking good, but she had to trust that Henry was safe. That was what mattered most.

"We can't give up...we have to stop this," Emma encouraged.

"At least Henry will be safe…" Regina said.

"Stop giving up! You caused this and now you're going to help me fix it!" Emma said harshly.

"Do this for Henry or he loses all of us!" Emma cried, sobering the former Queen, as she returned to pouring her magic into the trigger in earnest.

"Fools...you won't stop me! I've waited far too long for this moment!" she growled, as she absorbed more of the magic from the machines and used it against them.

"We can't keep this up much longer...they need to stop that trigger," Gold growled.

"We just need to hold out a bit longer...they'll do it," Persephone said. Hades was quiet, as he realized the possibility of returning to the Underworld and what that would mean for him now. With a spark of rage, he dug deeply and poured more into beam of power. Persephone glanced at Emma and Regina, as she saw the latter beginning to fight in earnest.

"It's working...just a little longer," she urged.

"NO!" Circe cried, as she felt the magic being sucked away.

Snow growled and struggled, as Tamara managed to get her hands around the raven haired beauty's neck.

"Let's see...I'd say it will take about sixty seconds without air and that brat inside you will start to die. I think I'll enjoy watching your eyes when you lose your second child...like you lost the first," she hissed. Snow's hand searched the ground and found something hard. Without hesitation, she bashed Tamara in the skull with the rock and gasped for air, as she threw her off.

"SNOW!" David cried, as he punched Greg again and threw him off, before scrambling to her side. He cupped her face in his hands, as she breathed heavily.

"I'm okay...we're okay…" she promised. He sighed in relief and kissed her forehead, before pillowing her against his chest. He held her and she relished his hold, as they watched the spectacular light show before them.

Tamara growled and got up, even as blood poured from a serious head wound.

"You little bitch…" she growled, as she grabbed one of the ray guns and pointed it at Snow, intending to kill her. David blocked her way and put himself in front of his beloved.

"If I have to kill you to get to her...then so be it. Goodbye Prince Charming," she leered, as she prepared to pull the trigger. Snow screamed for him, knowing that the blast at point blank range would kill him and possibly her too. But she didn't get the chance, as August stepped in front of him.

"If anyone is going to die today...it's going to be me," he stated.

"August!" Snow cried, as he turned his head to her.

"It's time to be brave...I owe you both everything, you know. I escaped the curse, but it should have been both you. I failed Emma...I'm sorry. But I'm not going to let her lose you both again," August said.

"You two are great parents...she's lucky to have you both and so will that new baby," he added, as he prepared to sacrifice himself.

"Don't do this...we would never want you to sacrifice yourself for us," David called.

"I know...that's why I'm doing this. Too many people need you," he replied.

"And they need you too, August. It is not your day to die," the Dragon said, as he looked at David and the Prince nodded, as he caught the axe as Mushu tossed it to him. Immediately, he hurled the axe into the machine. He pulled August down and then covered Snow with his body, as it exploded in a brilliant, fiery display. Tamara screamed, as she was caught in the blast and she was electrocuted by the exploding equipment. Circe screamed in rage, as the trigger was stopped and bowled the rest of them over with a blue shock wave.

~*~

Neal hurried Henry along, as they arrived at the diner. Most of the town was gathered there and he hesitated slightly, as he looked back.

"Neal...we can't wait. We have to make sure everyone gets to safety," Belle reasoned. Neal nodded and pulled out the bean. Just as he was about to toss it to the ground and open a portal, the shuddering in the town ceased. They looked around and it was Henry that pointed it out first.

"Look!" he called, as they watched the vines recede from the clock tower. Magic returned and sealed the cracks in the ground. The roots and greenery receded from the rest of the buildings as well and everything returned to normal.

"They did it!" Henry called. Neal laughed and scooped him up in a hug. Belle sighed in relief too.

"Come on...let's go back," he said. She nodded and followed him, as Archie, Granny, Marco, and Red also followed along. Curiously Hook tagged along as well, for he wanted to see how they had actually managed such a feat.

~*~

David groaned, as he pulled himself up and looked around and helped Snow sit up.

"Emma?" he called, as she sat up too.

"Did we stop it?" she asked.

"I...I think so. I think it's over," he said, with hope in his voice. They heard an anguished cry and witnessed Circe, crumpled on her knees before them. Her hands and arms had third degree burns and she tried in vain to use magic. But once again, her punishment was returned and magic refused her call.

"You're powerless again...we're safe," Persephone said in relief, as she crawled over to her family and the four of them exchanged hugs.

"Hey...August…" Emma called, as she gently smacked his cheek. He groaned and sat up.

"Are we dead?" he asked. She chuckled.

"You don't get off that easily," she joked and then surprised him by hugging him.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"I heard what you were going to do...you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save my parents," she replied. He shook his head.

"I wasn't about to let another child grow up without their parents if I could help it," he told her. She smiled, as they all managed to get to their feet.

"Are you okay?" Snow asked Regina. The other woman looked up at her and for the first time in years, it was without disdain or hatred in her eyes.

"Yes…" she answered simply, as an awkward silence passed between them. But any discussion was interrupted, as Greg Mendell cried out in anguish. They soon saw why, as they witnessed him kneeling beside Tamara's body. The woman's eyes were frozen open in death and she was badly burned, though it was likely that electrocution had been the cause of death.

"You killed her!" he cried. Emma took out a pair of cuffs.

"She did this to herself," she answered simply, as her father cuffed Circe.

"You idiots really think this is over?! You have no idea what I still have in store for you!" she threatened, as they all emerged from the mouth of the cave.

"Moms!" Henry called, as he rushed to them both. Emma and Regina found themselves side by side, hugging him together, even as thick as the awkwardness was between them.

"We'll haul them back to the station," Leroy said gruffly, as he and the other dwarves marched Greg, Circe, and Calypso, who also had no choice but to surrender, away. But the devious smirk on Circe's face was not missed.

"You really think this is over? I may not have magic...but I have a backup plan. Get ready for the dawn of a new era, Storybrooke!" she called.

"What the hell does that mean?" Emma wondered, as they watched her go and an ominous feeling settled over them. Snow looked at her husband and he met her gaze, before looking at their daughter.

"I don't know...but we'll face it together," David said, as pressed a gentle kiss to Snow's lips, before they went about the task of rounding up Circe's mercenaries. Their next task would be finding a place to confine all of them, for the Sheriff's station jail wasn't big enough. For now, the basement ward of the hospital would have to do to imprison these dangerous radicals...


	72. I'll Make it Up To You

Chapter 72: I'll Make it Up To You

Outside the entrance to the cave, David put up crime scene tape and then went back to holding Snow close, as Doc arrived with the Medical Examiner's van and two orderlies. Tamara's body was loaded into a body bag and zipped up, before they loaded her into the van.

"I'm not sure if there is much need for an autopsy, but I'll perform one anyhow," Doc said. David nodded.

"Emma wants to go by the book, so we'll need it for the report," he said. Doc nodded, before getting into the van and driving off. Snow rested her head on his shoulder, as August and the man they had heard referred to as the Dragon emerged from the mines. The latter looked forlorn, as he held a box, most likely containing Hecate's ashes and they exchanged a glance.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced...but we're very sorry for your loss," Snow offered.

"Thank you...Your Majesties," he replied, bowing respectfully to them, which surprised them a bit.

"Uh...he's from our land too, but you probably figured that out since he's Circe's father," August explained.

"Then...I know this is a difficult time, but do you know what Circe meant when she talked about a backup plan?" David questioned. He shook his head regrettably.

"I wish I did...but I am afraid Hecate was much better at keeping tabs on her all these years. I chose instead to put half a world between us," he said sadly.

"Is that what she meant when she said this Home Office thing goes deeper than we can imagine?" Snow asked. He nodded.

"I know there are many more like Greg and Tamara. We could all still be in great danger," he warned.

"If Circe gave them Storybrooke's location...then that could mean there are more on their way here now," August realized.

"We need to get a barrier up…" David said, as he turned to Regina, who stood nearby with Henry.

"Can you do it?" he asked. She nodded.

"I put one up around the town after...after Owen escaped. I can do so again," Regina replied.

"Can you take us to the town line?" Snow asked. Regina met her gaze and nodded simply, as all of them disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

~*~

"I want to be taken to the place where my father is buried! You promised me that!" Greg spat, as they filed their prisoners into the basement ward of the hospital through the service entry.

"Yeah...that was before you again conspired to blow us all up!" Emma shot back.

"This whole town owes me that! My father is dead! The Queen killed him and as usual, you're not going to punish her for her crimes," he growled.

"My parents and this town had nothing to do with that! And yet you still came after everyone, so you don't get any sympathy from me!" Emma growled back.

"You should get it...more than anyone!" he shouted.

"I do get it, you moron! I get it more than anyone! But making Regina pay won't bring your Dad back! Making her pay won't reverse anything I went through as a child!" she shouted in return, before lowering her voice.

"But I'm not going to be like you. I have my parents and my son...we lost a lot of time, but I refuse to keep dwelling on the past and lose more. I'm moving on...and you should have too," she retorted.

"Except I don't have parents, like you...nor a family of any kind, because of her," he spat.

"But you could have! Maybe not parents, but you could have let go of this hate and made a family of your own. But you chose revenge instead and this is where it got you," Emma responded, as she placed him in the cell.

"Don't worry, Mr. Mendell...this captivity will not stand," the imposing man that was leader of the team of mercenaries interjected.

"Yeah...and just what the hell does that mean?" Emma questioned, as she got in his face. He smirked and Neal put his hand out to pull her back, but she swatted it away. He rolled his eyes at that.

"This town will not go unpunished...retribution is coming," he promised. She glowered at him and shoved him in the cell.

"Not as long as I'm Sheriff," she countered, as the rest of his team was locked up as well. She and Neal walked side by side, back toward the nurse's desk.

"I hope you plan to hire some more security and staff with all these extra people, Sheriff," Nurse Ratched commented.

"I'll take care of hiring more security, but more staff is up to the hospital," Emma responded, as they exited back through the service entry.

"So...I was hoping we could talk?" he asked. She sighed.

"Look...you thought you were dying so I'm not going to hold you to anything you said earlier," she replied.

"No Emma...you're not going to brush me off," he retorted, as they faced each other.

"Especially since I meant every word of what I said," he added, as he swallowed thickly.

"I did too...I forgive you," she replied.

"It's more than that I'm sorry though, Emma. I...I never got over you," he admitted. She lowered her head.

"I guess I never really got over you either," she muttered.

"Yeah...so where do we go from here?" he asked. She sighed.

"I don't know...I mean, it's risky," she replied.

"Risky how?" he asked.

"Well...if we start this whole dating thing and it doesn't work out, that's going to be pretty awkward for Henry. I just don't want to get his hopes up," she replied.

"I get that...he'll be pretty stoked when he finds out," he agreed.

"Yeah...and he already tries to compare every relationship to my parent's marriage," she added.

"Okay...so let's be upfront with him. He's a smart kid. We tell him that we're exploring this whole thing, but we're taking it really slow and that he needs to have realistic expectations. Like Land Without Magic expectations," he suggested. She cocked her head to the side.

"That actually makes sense...that might work, for Henry anyway," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Oh come on...the minute my Mom finds out we're trying this, she's going to start planning our wedding," she replied. He chuckled.

"Maybe...but she's also pregnant so maybe she'll be distracted by that," he said.

"Oh you do not know my mother the way I do. She's the Queen of multitasking," she lamented.

"But your Mom means well and is nice and sweet most of the time. Just wait till my Dad finds out. That will be insufferable," he countered.

"He's not as bad as he tries to be, you know," she reminded.

"Oh no...the minute he finds out, it won't be congratulations. It will be I knew it all along, blah blah blah, I'm the Dark One," he complained, with an eye roll and she snickered.

"Well...to be fair, he kind of did call it that you and Tamara were a no go," she reminded.

"Don't encourage him," he scoffed.

"Um...seriously though, are you okay?" she asked. He shrugged.

"With what?" he asked. She looked at him incredulously.

"You were engaged to this woman...you must have loved her. And now she's dead," she reminded. He nodded.

"Yeah...I loved her, but my eyes are wide open now, Em," he explained.

"I loved her...but never the way I loved you," he added, as he looked at her and she blushed.

"And whatever feelings I had for her died pretty quickly when she shot me and threatened to shoot you. Not to mention how she threatened to kill your parents, including your pregnant mother. I actually really like your parents, you know," he mentioned. She smiled fondly.

"They like you too," she offered. He side-eyed her.

"With your Mom, I buy that...but your Dad?" he asked.

"Okay...Dad didn't like you at first. But he sees how much you adore Henry and how protective you were of me when Tamara went psycho on us with the gun. Believe me...he respects you for that and he actually likes your Dad, so I think he likes you now more than you think," she replied.

"Yeah...there's not many people that like my Dad," he quipped, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"So...how do we do this dating thing? Like do we go have dinner or something?" he asked.

"Is that really us?" she asked in return. He shrugged.

"I dunno...but it's not like we can do the things we used to do on dates," he reminded. She laughed.

"Yeah...I guess dine and dash with a side of convenience store theft is out of the question," she joked.

"Yeah...and there's no theaters in Storybrooke even if we wanted to sneak into one," he joked back.

"All right...let's start with dinner that's not Granny's and then ice cream. Dopey's shop has like the best Rocky Road I've ever had," she mentioned.

"Still Rocky Road…" he teased.

"They have really good mint chip too," she tempted.

"Sold...then maybe a nightcap at the Rabbit Hole?" he asked. She smiled.

"It's a date," she agreed, as he looked at her and then grinned, as they headed back to the station.

~*~

Hades followed Persephone deeper into the mines and used his blue fire to light the way.

"You know, you didn't have to come with me," she mentioned.

"I created the monster you have locked up. It's only right that I make sure the town's near implosion didn't weaken the integrity of Prometheus' chains," he said. She stopped and turned to look at him.

"You know, I haven't told my family you are no longer King of the Underworld. There was a lot going on, but if they remember that little tidbit you revealed...they're going to want to know why. I want to know why," she told him. He sighed.

"I know...and I know I need to tell you. It's just hard...and it's going to be hard for you to hear," he responded. They walked in silence for a moment.

"You know, there was a time when we knew everything about each other. A time where our marriage was amiable…" she mentioned. It had been centuries ago, before things between them devolved into indifference. Ruling the Underworld was not easy. There was a time in their reign together that he had listened to her and didn't punish souls for trivial offenses. But with the struggles in their relationship and the strain came frustration. He had begun lashing out at their subjects and giving unjust punishments. That had led to fiery anger between them when she protested his actions and then she had met Eli at her loneliest and saddest time.

"I know...but I grew bitter about my station and how my brothers got the much better deal. I took it out on you and everyone around me. You weren't getting what you needed from me...and then Eli came along," he admitted. She was floored by that admission. Never could she have ever imagined he'd actually take the blame for that entire situation. It was so unlike him and she wanted to know exactly what had opened his eyes to such an incredible degree. But that would have to wait, for they were suddenly face to face with Deimos, who was still confined by Prometheus' chains in an alcove of the mine walls…

~*~

Regina reappeared at the town line, with Henry and his grandparents in tow. The boy smiled gently at her, as she looked at her hands.

"I'm glad you're using your magic for something good," he offered. She managed a genuine smile at that.

"Me too," she agreed, as Snow and David exchanged a smile. Regina used her magic and cast the spell. The barrier started at the town line and began to cover the town, until it suddenly and unexpectedly fizzled out. Regina frowned at that.

"What happened?" Snow asked.

"I...I don't know," she replied, as she tried it again. It started out the same as last time and then fizzled again.

"It's not working," Regina said.

"How is that possible?" David questioned.

"I don't know!" she snapped, as he pushed a button his phone.

"Yeah...it's me. Can you come to the town line? I think we have a problem," David stated. In a puff of red smoke, Rumple and Belle appeared beside them.

"What's going on?" Belle asked.

"My barrier spell...it's not working," Regina replied.

"Do you think the cuff might still be suppressing some of her magic?" Snow asked curiously

"Not likely...perhaps you just need a professional to handle this," Rumple said, as he stepped forward and used his spell. It started out the same as Regina's and she rolled her eyes at the smug look on his face. However, his fizzled out too at the same point that hers did and he frowned deeply. She shot him her own smug look.

"So it's not just me…" she shot back.

"This doesn't make any sense…" he uttered, as he waved his hand over the town line and a look of disbelief marred his features.

"What is it?" David asked.

"Something is preventing us from putting up a barrier," he replied.

"Is it magic? A spell that we can perhaps figure out how to break?" Belle asked.

"We perhaps could...if it were magic. But this is not magic…I don't know what this is," Rumple growled in frustration. David's eyes widened.

"Is this what Circe meant? When she said she had a backup plan?" he wondered. Snow's eyes widened.

"If we can't get a barrier up...then there is nothing protecting the town from more outsiders," she realized.

"That's what she meant by a new era," Belle said.

"Storybrooke will now be exposed...like a vein," Rumple added.

"We have to do something," David said.

"Well, without magic...I don't see how that's possible," Regina retorted.

"We should tell my mother. Maybe she'll know something else we can try," Snow said, as she texted her to meet them at the diner.

"Let's head back to town and figure out a plan then. Because if there is no way to keep people out...then Circe was right. It's going to change everything," David said, as they all shared a grim look.

~*~

"My Lord...you have finally come," Deimos hissed, as he glared at Persephone.

"I can only assume that you brought this wench here so I can witness you make her pay for betraying you," he added.

"That's where you would be wrong, though I know why you would assume that," Hades replied, making Deimos frowned.

"You see...I am not here to punish my wife. I'm here to right a wrong," Hades responded, as she looked at him in question.

"And I would love to help you right all those wrongs, My Lord. I just need you to free me from this prison," Deimos said.

"You're not getting it," Hades snapped. Deimos looked at him in question.

"The wrong I need to right is your existence," Hades spat.

"What?" he questioned in confusion.

"You heard me," Hades replied.

"But you created me! You brought me back to life so I could make Snow White suffer and thus make your treacherous wife suffer! What is this?" Deimos questioned.

"You're right...I did all those things. I was a monster, but unlike you, I didn't start out as a monster," he said.

"I can never make up for all the hurt and pain I have caused you...but I can end the monster I unleashed on your daughter," he told her.

"Who the hell are you?" Deimos growled.

"That is no longer your concern...because your time is up," Hades said. Deimos chuckled.

"Even if you wanted to kill me...you can't. I can only be killed during a blood moon!" he boasted.

"He's right...and there won't be one of those until fall," Persephone said regrettably.

"Which I promise you that I'll find a way out of here before that time...and then nothing will stop me. Snow will be mine…" he promised. Persephone extended her hand and tried to use magic to choke him, but he only laughed at her feeble attempt.

"Even bound by these chains, you cannot hurt me! My strength cannot be bested by your pitiful attempt at magic," he claimed.

"Except there is one way besides a blood moon to get rid of you. Two ways actually, but I was unable to retrieve the Olympian crystal before leaving the Underworld. So we'll use the next best thing…" Hades said, as he pulled a vial out of his jacket pocket.

"Is that what I think it is?" Persephone asked.

"Yes...water from the river of lost souls. Waters that not even an immortal can survive," Hades replied.

"You wouldn't…I don't understand this! You created me to make her pay for her betrayal. You tasked me with making her daughter and her family suffer!" He reminded.

"And I've changed since then. I have come to realize that my feelings for my wife never faded and that my revenge had caused her incredible pain and suffering already," he said. Deimos glared at him.

"No...I know you. You always have an agenda! And now for some reason, I don't fit into that now so you need to be rid of me!" Deimos protested.

"That does sound like you," Persephone mentioned.

"It does...and I know that I still have a long way to go before I prove to you that I don't mean you or your family harm. This is the first step," Hades said.

"You're a fool if you believe he really means to protect your family!" Deimos shouted at her.

"Enough…" Hades hissed, as he splashed the small bit of water on the God of Terror. He screamed a horrible shriek, as they watched him dissolve into nothing.

"He's in the Underworld now...he won't be able to come after Snow again," Hades said, as he turned to her.

"I...I still don't understand any of this. He wasn't wrong about you. What is your agenda? What happened to you? I need to understand this," she replied. He sighed.

"I know...you deserve an explanation. You deserve to know what happened to me...and I shall tell you. But it will not be easy for you to hear. Some of it will hurt you," he warned.

"You know me better than that. You know I'm not some fragile waif," she spat in return.

"I know...you're stronger than any woman I know. Snow takes after you like that, you know," he offered. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"This has something to do with Eli, doesn't it?" She asked. He nodded, as her phone chimed.

"It does...he's part of it at least. What is it?" He asked, as she checked her phone.

"It's Snow...she says there was a problem at the town line. She wants us to meet them at the diner," she replied. He nodded.

"Then we had better go," he said.

"This isn't over...you're telling me everything, regardless of whatever else might be going on," she replied. He nodded.

"You have my word," he promised. She gave him a weary look and he knew his word didn't mean much to her yet, but he was determined to change that.

~*~

New York City

The large warehouse bustled with activity, as the people inside mobilized. Their leaders had been detained, but that did not stop them from following the chain of command and their operations continued. They knew it was finally time to make the move that they had all been waiting for.

"How are we going to proceed without Madam Keres?" one subordinated asked.

"She planned for everything," a woman said.

"Yes...Madam Keres recruited us almost twenty-fives years ago and one set back such as this will not be stopping us," the man next to her added. They appeared to be a couple and were in their fifties, though still healthy and fit for their age.

"He's right...over twenty-eight years ago, some very dangerous people that are not like us were deposited in a land where they do no belong," the woman stated.

"They were brought here by dark magic...an incredible amount of it and it is dangerous to our way of life if left uncontrolled," the man added.

"For all these years, Storybrooke, as it is known, has enjoyed anonymity, but that is about to change. The world will soon know all about this place and its people. They must be made to conform with the rest of our society," she continued.

"Allowing them to keep existing with no governing and order will eventually spell doom for us all. Only Madam Keres can control the magic they use for their savagery and own selfish means," he said.

"It's time, these people abide by our rules and laws of this land...not the unruly one they hail from," she added. One subordinate raised their hand then.

"Yes?" the man asked.

"You both seem to know more about these people than most...is that why Madam Keres chose you to lead us in her absence?" the female subordinate asked.

"That is correct...Madam Keres chose us, because we encountered one of these people from that land," the woman said.

"A little girl...she came to us through the foster system and for a time, things were good, until strange things began to occur around us. She made things happen. Light bulbs would explode around her and electronics would short out. Neither Jessica nor I knew what to make of it," he informed.

"She was very unruly as well, with a host of psychological issues. She refused to call us Mommy and Daddy, for she claimed, even at the tender age of three that she saw her real parents in her dreams. Parents that she claimed were Snow White and Prince Charming," Jessica continued.

"Kevin and I were at a loss as to what to do with her and naturally sought therapy for the little girl. None of the therapists knew what to do with her either and just when we were about to put her on medication, we met Madam Keres," she said.

"Yes...and she opened our eyes to everything and exactly what this little girl was. That's when we gave her back to the foster system, at Madam Keres suggestion. She said that one day, this little girl would lead us to this great evil that had infected our world and allow us to right all the wrongs they had caused," Kevin added.

"And just who is this little girl, Mr. Swan? Surely someone that disturbed would have been institutionalized," one of the more skeptical operatives questioned.

"You would think, but little Emma slipped through all the cracks and managed to go unchecked. But that is about to change," Kevin responded.

"We are asking to you to suspend your reality in this quest and enter a world that will make little sense to any of us. But this is mission is important...the most important mission that any of us will embark on," Jessica informed, as they exchanged a glance.

"It's time for order and peace...and there can be neither with magic going unchecked in the hands of those that use it so frivolously. There will be battles ahead, but we are strong and they will be made to submit to Madam Keres' order," he stated. She nodded.

"It's time to begin," she added, as they prepared to commence with the mobilization.

~*~

Snow looked at her phone and then put it away.

"Okay...Mom says they're on the way here," she mentioned. Gold and Belle had opted to return to the shop to do some research, while Regina and Emma were sitting at the counter with Henry, getting him a snack. Snow shifted restlessly and he reached for her hand.

"Snow…" he whispered.

"Who are these people, Charming? And what could they possibly want with us?" she wondered. She wasn't expecting him to have an answer, but more just thinking out loud, which he knew right away.

"I don't know...I honestly wish I did. The unknown is scarier than anything. I'm so used to there being a clear evil we're facing. It's hard to say what Circe has told these people, given what we now know about Greg and Tamara," he offered. The trepidation was clear on her face and he gently pulled her into his arms.

"David...what if we can't keep these people out?" she asked, as she pulled back and then saw his expression.

"You don't think we can," she realized. He sighed.

"I hope we can...but if Regina and Gold can't do it...I don't know. I know your mother is powerful, but so is this Circe," he mentioned.

"You know, I don't have curse memories like everyone else so sometimes the science is lost on me, but it appears that it actually can match magic," he added. She nodded.

"And sometimes it can surpass it…" she lamented.

"Hey...even if we can't keep them out, I am not letting anyone hurt this family," he promised, as he held her face in his hands and then kissed her passionately. Snow mewled into his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing herself to be lost in him for those few moments. As their lips parted, she rested her head on his shoulder and he put his hand on her belly. It was still flat, but a slight swell was evident to his touch and only because he knew her body so well. She felt comfort at that too. When she had been pregnant with Emma, he would always give their baby the most loving caresses. He would talk and sing to her as well and she couldn't wait for him to start doing it again with this one. But once again, her pregnancy would be filled with the unknown and uncertainty. She had feared losing him during the first one and found herself fearing the same again. She knew he would protect them, but she worried about him putting himself in danger to do so.

"I've almost lost you so many times...I did lose you to the curse. I know we had the dreamscape...but I want you all the time," she said.

"Hey…and you have me. Nothing is taking me away from you, my darling. Not this time," he promised.

"No matter who they are, this is still our town," he added, as he kissed her again, just as Hades and Persephone entered the diner. It was time to discuss what they were up against, especially if they couldn't figure out a way to seal the town off from the outside world...


	73. Pathos of Hades

Chapter 73: Pathos of Hades

One moment, Deimos was experiencing the pure hell of the river of lost souls and the next, he felt himself being pulled from it. In mere moments, it had reduced him to a quivering mass of fear and anxiety. As he began to get his bearings, he noticed the hooded figure before him.

"Who...who are you?" Deimos questioned. He recognized the demonic creatures, Pain and Panic beside this figure and saw them approach.

"You shall not speak in such a manner of disrespect to the King!" Pain slithered.

"Yes...bow to the All Mighty King of the Underworld!" Panic ordered.

"I just saw the King of the Underworld...he sent me into that river!" Deimos cried.

"Hades is no longer the King…" Pain shouted sharply.

"Yes...Hades has been dethroned…" Panic slithered. Deimos found that very interesting, for Hades had naturally failed to mention that little tidbit.

"So...that's what has changed," he growled.

"I knew he had an agenda…" the God of terror muttered.

"Yes...and Hades was not supposed to escape me. His punishment was to be eternal…" the figure said in a deep, gravely voice.

"Who are you?" Deimos demanded to know. The figure finally dropped his hood, revealing a man with a beard and salt and pepper colored hair. His eyes were a sickly yellow color and his features, sharp and rigid. Upon his head rested a jewel encrusted crown and beneath the cloak, he wore golden robes in the style akin to ancient Greece. And finally, in his hand, he held a golden staff with a scythe on the end of it.

"Lord Cronus…" Deimos uttered in disbelief, as he was suddenly on his knees.

"You have been a loyal servant to the ways of old, Deimos...and I believe you could serve me well," Cronus stated, as he paced before his Throne.

"It would be an honor to serve you, my Lord. Am I to assume that you are seeking revenge on Hades for his escape?" he asked.

"Oh not just Hades. No...he's only the beginning. Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Hestia...all my children must pay for dethroning me. And this...Storybrooke will be the beginning of my revenge," he stated.

"Forgive me for being ignorant, my Lord, but how do we acquire passage back to the Land Without Magic?" Deimos inquired.

"There is a way...a very dark ritual that requires specific ingredients and I need someone to assist me. I have other minions helping in our cause...but they are hopelessly mortal and some of the ingredients require a certain...savagery," Cronus answered. Deimos smirked.

"Then I am your man...please tell me more, Your Majesty," he requested.

~*~

Snow found herself lost in him once again, as he kissed her passionately and deeply. Her husband always knew exactly what she needed and his smoldering gaze made her knees weak. She pressed her forehead against his, just as her mother and Hades entered the diner. And as much as she just wanted to go home and lose herself further in the man she loved, she knew it was time to discuss what they were up against, especially if they couldn't figure out a way to seal the town off from the outside world. She pulled apart from him, but only slightly, as she was content to remain in his arms.

"Mother...is everything okay?" Snow asked, as they slid into the booth across from them with Hades.

"Yes...actually it is. We went to make sure the trigger didn't weaken the integrity of Prometheus' chains," she said. Emma, Regina, and Henry took interest in this and joined them at a table, which they pulled closer to the booth.

"And did it? Don't tell me Deimos is free?" David asked, with trepidation, as he tightened his arm around Snow's waist.

"No...he was still trapped indefinitely, but none of that matters anymore," Persephone replied, as she looked to Hades.

"What does that mean?" Snow asked tentatively. He looked at the Princess and marveled at how much he actually didn't loathe her. From the day she had been born, he had sworn to obliterate her from existence. She had been the symbol of his failed marriage to the woman he actually loved very deeply. He had made it his mission to see to her demise to punish Persephone for her betrayal. But actually meeting her had forced him to see how much like her mother she was. And that made it more difficult to hate her.

"I'm responsible for unleashing that monster on you for the first place...and nothing I say or do can make up for his terrorizing of you," Hades stated.

"We definitely agree there," David muttered.

"But I had the power to make sure he couldn't come after you again...Deimos is dead," he revealed. Their eyes all widened in disbelief.

"You killed him?" Emma asked with great interest.

"I thought he could only be killed during a blood moon," David stated skeptically.

"If you are a mortal, then yes...that is the only way. But if you're an immortal...there are a couple ways we can be killed. Ideally, I would have rather used the Olympian crystal on him, but I wasn't able to escape the Underworld with it. And it's a bit useless anyway since Zeus snapped in half centuries ago," Hades explained.

"What does this Olympian crystal do? Kill immortals?" Snow asked.

"Better...it would have erased him from existence, body and soul. No Underworld...nothing. He would have just ceased to exist," Hades replied.

"Instead, I used another method. When I escaped the Underworld, I brought a tiny bit of water from the river of lost souls with me. I used the water on him. He was dissolved and is now trapped in that watery hell in the Underworld," he revealed. The relief on Snow's face was palpable and David grinned at her, before pressing a kiss to her hair.

"You...you did that for us?" she asked.

"And your mother…" Hades replied, as he looked at her.

"I am trying to right what wrongs I can. I know it's not enough…" he said to Persephone.

"My vengeance is the reason you had to give her up and hide her away," he said, as he gently took her hand and was surprised when she actually didn't pull it away.

"If...if I could go back to that moment, I would do things differently. I'd give just about anything to go back and change it all. If I could go back, I wouldn't seek revenge. I wouldn't have killed Eli...I would have even let you go if that is what you wanted. I...I would have raised your child with you if you had chosen to stay with me," he confessed.

"We can't go back," she said softly. He paused for a moment and thought about Zelena's plan. If it worked, then they could go back. He'd make it all right. He would show her Eli's true colors when he ultimately failed their child, for Snow would have never truly been accepted by Eva's Kingdom if everyone had known the truth of her origin. He didn't know if Persephone realized that or not...but she would if they went back. He would show her that he could love her child where Eli would fail. He could fix this all...he would fix it all. He glanced at Snow and Charming. Yes...he'd even see to it that Snow met her shepherd and the Savior and her unborn sibling existed. Zelena could do what she wanted with Regina...but Persephone's family and ultimately her love would be his. They would be the rightful family they were supposed to be and Eli would be the villain in their story. And it was time to plant that seed. It was time to tell her what her beloved Eli was up to in the Underworld.

"I know we can't go back...that is why I am doing what I can to make it up to you all," he said.

"Then I must know the why. I must know why you have changed so much...you haven't been like this in centuries. I have known you to be vengeful and angry for centuries...but there was a time you weren't. There was a time you were like this...very early on," she confessed, causing Snow and David to exchange a glance. They had never heard of her speak of that time in their marriage.

"The change is drastic...and we deserve to know why," she added. He nodded.

"You're right...you do, but perhaps we can go somewhere a little less public?" he requested. He would allow them to choose. His house was formerly Deimos', after all and knew they probably never wanted to set foot there.

"We can go to the loft," Snow suggested. Persephone nodded, as they began to file out. Regina stopped for a moment, unsure if she was welcome when Henry and Snow turned back.

"Aren't you coming?" Snow asked.

"Yeah Mom...come on," Henry called.

"I...I wasn't sure I was welcome. Hades isn't the only one that's done terrible things…" Regina admitted. Snow cautiously approached her and took her hands.

"You did...and some of those things I will never forget. But we were close once...before your mother tore us apart," the raven haired beauty said.

"I'm tired of the hate, the fighting, and the strife between us. I have wanted to love you again for so long...and I know you may never love me again. But...you're family and I want you to be a part of us," she confessed.

"Please Mom…" Henry pleaded. Family...it was all Regina had ever really wanted and she wasn't yet sure if she could trust it. But she would accept what they were offering, for the thought of being alone was terrifying. Could it truly be possible? Could they truly be a family?

"We're meant to be a family...Cora ruined that. But she's gone now…" Snow reminded. Yes...her mother was gone and she found that she wasn't as sad as she should be about that.

"I'll come," Regina agreed, as they followed. They hadn't even yet broached the subject of the town line and she definitely needed to be there for that. She had a good feeling that it was going to be a long night, but she found that she didn't mind that at all, for she wouldn't be alone…

~*~

Their trailers and trucks took up most of the parking lot at the motel they had found in a smallish town in the middle of Maine. But the owner of the establishment didn't mind, for they had dumped enough cash on his counter to appease him. Most of their subordinates were in their rooms, getting some sleep, for tomorrow, they would be moving in on Storybrooke.

Kevin and Jessica were in their room, but they weren't sleeping. Rather, they had a map spread out on the table and were going over what they knew about the town.

"There is enough woods around this town to provide significant cover and hiding places," he mentioned.

"Yes...this is one time being in the middle of no where won't help them," she said, as she took out a file and opened it, before tossing it onto the table.

"Cali finally came through with that information. She had to hire a hacker to get it, but did it," she mentioned, as he picked up the file

"And the pictures?" he asked.

"Sent to us by Jarvis before they arrested him," she replied, as they looked at the information.

"David and Mary Margaret Nolan...you're sure this is them?" he asked.

"Yes...they're responsible for that demon girl," she replied.

"And you believe they are who Emma claimed they were when she was only three?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Whether they are or not is irrelevant. Their daughter is dangerous...they're dangerous. They dumped that little demon into this world and we were stuck with her. Do you remember the nightmare she was?" Jessica asked bitterly. He sighed.

"Yes...very much so, but do you really believe that her magic is responsible for...you know?" he asked.

"Madam Keres told us it was...magic stole our chance at a real family. Emma...Emma Nolan did that and her parents need to pay for it. They need to know our pain…" Jessica said bitterly. He nodded in agreement.

"It's just hard to believe that these are her parents...they look no older than she is," he mentioned.

"You know how unnatural that place is. Stopping the natural progression of time is its own evil," she reminded.

"Well...we better get some sleep then. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day…" he said. She agreed and they retired for the night.

~*~

They arrived at the loft and quickly got settled in. Snow served coffee and cocoa, as Hades prepared to share his story. As she sat down across from them, she curled against Charming and he put his arm around her.

"I know that my behavior must be incredibly puzzling for all of you," Hades said, as he looked at his wife.

"When you escaped to this land a few months ago...I was livid. I was determined to make you pay and concocted a plan to come here to punish you...and your family. But something happened...an experience that made me see all the horrors I had inflicted upon so many," he said. Her brow furrowed. He seemed to be speaking so literally and there was only one way she knew of that a person was forced to relive their sins. Each river in the Underworld had its ways of punishing the unjust.

Styx was a river of hatred. It was hard to say what could happen to a soul if it spent any amount of time in there. Then there was Archeron, which was a river of pain. Some of the realms worst evil had been condemned to the fate of Archeron. It was fitting for those with evil hearts, for it often forced them to relive the pain they had caused their victims. Then usually those evil beings, after the torture of Archeron had driven them insane, were then tossed into Phelgethon, the river of fire, which resided in the depths of Tartarus. Lethe was the river of forgetfulness and likely not in play here and then there was Cocytus, the frigid river of wailing. Was that it? Had Hades been subject to the punishment of his own rivers. And if so, by who? She couldn't think of anyone capable of overpowering him with Cerberus at his side.

"When you say you that you experienced the horror that you inflicted...you're speaking literally, aren't you?" she asked. He nodded and swallowed thickly.

"Yes...I was overthrown and punished," he admitted.

"By who?" Snow asked curiously.

"By my father...Cronus," he answered. Persephone's eyes widened.

"Cronus is free?" she asked in disbelief. He nodded.

"But how?" she questioned. He shrugged.

"I don't know...but he's back and he is the new King of the Underworld. And I was only the first he punished...all his children are in danger with him free. The Underworld isn't the Throne he really wants. Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, your mother Demeter...we're all in danger," Hades responded.

"Cronus...he threw you into one of the rivers, didn't he?" she asked.

"No actually...if it had been him, he probably would have just tossed me into Phlegethon and if that were the case, I wouldn't be here. There is no escaping the depths of Tartarus. Instead...he decided to let me victims decide my fate. But since so many of them are in Styx...he used his immense power to retrieve many of them," Hades replied. Snow gasped and David clutched her hand.

"He revived Eli...didn't he?" Persephone asked. He looked at her.

"Yes...and it was Eli that chose to torture me by putting me in Archeron. That's when I saw it all...the pain I inflicted and evil I had wrought on people. I deserved it," Hades replied. No one denied that fact, but Persephone was having a very hard time getting her mind around it that it had been Eli that had done that to him.

~*~

Flashback

"Again…" Eli hissed, as Pain and Panic held their former Master's arms and forced his head into the river Archeron again. Eli smirked, as his greatest nemesis' watery screams of agony filled the entire chamber. His pain seemed to please Cronus greatly as well and he imagined that his father was looking forward to seeing that his other children were punished in much the same way Hades was being now. They pulled him out again and Hades sputtered and coughed violently. Eli grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head back, as he glared at the God with a fiery hatred like Hades had never seen in anyone.

"This is just a small taste of what I went through. I spent decades in eternal torture, because of you. Stealing my life wasn't enough...you had steal my sanity too. But why not? You stole the woman I love...you took her to your bed, when you knew she belonged with me!" Eli growled, as he pushed his head into the water again for several more agonizing seconds, before pulling him up again.

"And I've been told you have sought to kill my daughter...that you have some monster hunting her. I wish she could see this...I wish she could see that I am avenging the wrongs you have committed against her. I believe she would be enjoying this as much as I am," he raged.

"You're wrong…" Hades choked.

"Excuse me?" Eli growled, as he threw him down and kicked him repeatedly in the stomach and chest.

"I am wrong? You are the only thing that's wrong...your very existence should be considered a crime!" the hate filled man shouted.

"You're right...I am as bad as you say. I probably even deserve all of this...but I know for a fact that if your daughter were here, she would be horrified by you," Hades claimed.

"Oh you think so? And how is that?" he questioned.

"Your daughter is good...even with all I've done to her, she would never seek revenge and would be horrified by you...both of us really. We'd both be monsters in her eyes," Hades warned.

"No...she would relish this revenge. She would have every right to! I've been told all the things that have been done to her! There is no way she'd let your crimes go unpunished," he insisted. Hades managed a chuckle, which earned him a kick in the head.

"Wrong again...you simpleton. Your daughter is far better than either of us. She has the capacity to love and forgive in a way that men like us simply do not understand. She has hope that there is good in everyone...something I use to spit at. Men like us are weak and so we seek revenge. But Snow White is strong...like her mother. She would want none of this and we both would be monsters in her eyes," he hissed in satisfaction, as disbelief crossed his features. Hades knew that Eli could feel he was right, for they both knew what Persephone would think about this situation right now.

"Nice try...you'd do anything to end your own suffering," Eli said, as he had Hades dragged back toward the river.

"True...but you know what I say isn't wrong. I know more about your daughter and my wife than you ever will," Hades goaded. Those words earned him yet another agonizing dip in the river.

~*~

"I...just never thought he'd be the type to seek revenge," she said despondently.

"My dear...you must realize that he is not the same man you once loved. Thanks to me...he spent almost six decades in a river of hate. That is on my shoulders too...I put him there," he replied regrettably, as he took out the small orb that had been a gift from the Oracle.

"See for yourself…" he offered, as he placed it in her hands. Tears filled her eyes, as she gazed upon him for the first time in many years. She saw him occupying the Mayor's office in Underbrooke and then heartbreakingly kneeling obediently before Cronus, who now sat on her husband's former Throne.

"He serves Cronus loyally now," Hades said, as they saw someone else kneeling beside him and it caused Snow to take a sharp breath. David squeezed her hands in his own.

"Seems like he's not the only one," Regina mentioned, as she spied her dead husband.

"Why would they help Cronus?" Snow asked in shock. He looked up at her.

"Self preservation mostly...though I'm sure he has promised revenge for their loyalty. It's hard to say where they fit, but my father needs many minions if he really plans to take on Zeus and Poseidon for control of their realms," Hades answered.

"But his minions are dead...they can't leave the Underworld," David said.

"No...they can't. I mean, the Olympian crystal could give him unlimited power to do anything, but it's broken; a fact of which used to anger me, but never have I actually been so grateful that Zeus broke it. Even Cronus isn't powerful enough to mend it," Hades replied.

"How did you manage to escape Archeron?" Regina asked.

"That was Cerberus...my loyal friend. When Cronus returned, he surprised me and Cerberus was contained. However...he managed to break free of his bonds long enough to snatch me away from Eli's...torture sessions and he got me to Charon. Because of Snow's blood, I was able to cross Styx and Oceanus and finally to Storybrooke," he said.

"Unfortunately, Cerberus paid for it with his life and was tossed into the depths of Tartarus," he said sadly.

~*~

Flashback

Cerberus roared angrily, as he managed to evade Cronus' staff and the golden strikes his Scythe was emitting. Hades, weak and lethargic, managed to throw himself onto the loyal beast's back.

"He's escaping! Do not let him go!" Cronus roared, as Cerberus deposited him on Charon's boat.

"I take it Hermes has obtained my passage?" Hades asked weakly. Charon only nodded curtly, before manning the ferry across Styx. But just as they crossed into Oceanus, Cronus managed one last strike before they were out of reach. Cerberus was struck and plunged into Styx. And Hades could only watch in horror, as his loyal friend's flesh was eaten away until he was nothing and only his soul remained, doomed to the river for eternity.

~*~

"I will understand if you still doubt my intentions even after all that. I would deserve it, but had Hermes not obtained Snow's blood...then I would probably be in the river myself. I actually owe my life to you, dear step-daughter," he said, as he met her eyes, which were wide with many emotions over all that she had just heard. Snow looked at her mother, who still sat there, too stunned to speak as well. She didn't know this man that had fathered her, so it was difficult to know what kind of emotions she was supposed to have. Hades was right though. She liked to think that no matter what she had been through, she would never be okay with someone being tortured, whether it was believed they deserved it or not. And her heart broke a little for her mother, for she couldn't imagine what it was like to learn that a person you loved had devolved into something akin to a monster.

She put her head on Charming's chest and he kissed her forehead. She did know a bit about that, she supposed. She had watched it happen to Regina, after all and then she shuddered. They both had been through so much, but more than ever, she realized that their love had saved them both from turning bitter and possibly seeking revenge for all the wrongs committed against them. And there were plenty of wrongs to list. Honestly, she wasn't sure what to feel about Eli. She knew what she had been feeling about Leopold lately since learning of his sordid history with Cora and none of that was good. To know he participated in the torture of another person, even if it was Hades, didn't sit well at all. Then there was Hades himself. He acted nothing like she had been told. He didn't even seem like the same person or rather hadn't been this gentler version of himself in centuries. It was all very confusing and disconcerting. She felt her daughter in the other side of her, as Emma rested her head on Snow's back, letting her mother know she was there. And she was so grateful they were as solid in their relationship with their daughter as they were and she was eternally thankful that Emma did not have to struggle with a sordid and problematic father figure. Emma had her husband, the best man she had ever known and their baby would too. She didn't have to worry about her children ever struggling with the image of a father, for they had the best possible version. She was sure she could eventually come to terms with who these men were and maybe even reconcile her feelings. But she was grateful that her children and grandchild wouldn't have to ever do that with David.

Her thoughts on anymore of that would be put on hold though, as there came a knock at the door.

"It's open," David called, as Rumple arrived with Belle and Neal. It was time to figure out a solution to the dire situation facing them in the immediate future. There town had no barrier and the outside world posed possibly the more danger than they could yet imagine...


End file.
